Urine sample from 2 yo

[2babies]

My DD has a temperature and no other symptoms. When she was 1yo, she had a urinary tract infection. She was catheterized numerous times during that time to diagnose it, check it, and then to ensure that she didn't have reflux or other associated issues. This time, I think it may be another uti, but I don't want her to go through the pain and trauma of another catheter. The doctor said that if I could get a clean urine sample, DD wouldn't have to be catheterized. So the question is: How do you get a clean urine sample from a 2 year old girl who is not potty-trained?? The doctor said to try to get her to pee into a clean container after wiping her. Sounds easy, but I don't think it will be so.
TIA

Have just done this myself about 3 weeks ago but dd is 28 months and potty trained, though it was still a nightmare. Weeks of telling her to sit on the potty and wee, now telling her to stand up whilst myself and dh held a container (and got splashed) and hoped. We did it in the end but it wasn't easy and must be harder if they don't know they're going to wee.

Anyway, in hospital, they attached a plastic bag thing to her and got two samples that way, just waited for her to go. Could your GP do that?

I would leave her nappyless in the house and just have a clean potty on hand, ready to catch it when she does a wee. Means you will have to be on watch and alert for a while, but sounds like it may be worth it.

When DD was a yera old or so I was given a strange plastic bag contraption to try and do this. Luckily DD ended up being fne almost immediately and didn't have to. But is was fromt he nurse and was a bag with tapes that you stuck to your dd and she wore it either with or without a nappy/pants. Didn't look very comfortable from the diagram though.

Good luck.

try putting a bit of cotton wool (not too much) in her nappy (or try sticking some to her with elastoplast- v v v tricky this one!). even better if she's drinking lots of liquids (perhaps give her some juice i.e. ribena, orange or apple juice, squash, whatever you know she likes) and wait. You don't actually need to collect much so hopefully this will help. Good luck, i know from experience how difficult it is, but this method works providing she's peing. Maybe try pants instead of nappies with a bit of cotton wool inside.

Another vote for the sticky bag. Perhaps a pharmacist or practice nurse would have one. Think a catch via potty risks contamination. You stick bag on, wait and can then snip the corner to seep sample into sterile container. Had to do this with dd at 3 months.

Thanks everyone. I think what I'll have to do is just sit with nappyless her in the bathroom for a while and occupy her and just hope she goes, and just hope I can catch it in a bag or cup. There must be a way. Anything will be better than the catheter- it was so horrible. I cry just thinking about it.

I don't understand how you stick bag on?

Also, doesn't the urine have to be in liquid form? I don't think I can give cotton wool soaked in the urine?

It is self-adhesive and anatomically shaped ! You just have to fit it over her bits right. Perhaps you could improvise with a freezer bag in her nappy - you might catch enough (rinse out with hot water first to sterilise?).

Hi, Beetroot. I'm in the U.S. I've never heard of such a thing. Maybe they don't have them here.

you'd actually have to squeeze the liquid of the cotton wool ( i used sterile gloves for that) into the tube they gave you for collection. i tried the mentioned bag but found it was impossible to catch anything in it, also tried freezer bag with elastoplast around it and that didn't work either.

I have a box of freezer bags that are already sterile. I'll try to use one of those and hold it on her until she goes.

even here they're a bit hard to get hold of these special bags

yes give it a try with these bags if they're sterile that's perfect. how will you hold the bag in place?

I've used the ones Beety is talking about, but recently when having to do them, the hosp have given out sterilised sanitary pad style things. They wee into those, then it is syringed into a tube afterwards.

Thanks Branster. The cotton wool method sounds easier, but I'm wondering if the sample will be clean.

cotton wool is pretty clean in general (they use it in first aid kits i think so it must be ), and just make sure you wash your hands properly before getting it out. Hopefully she won't have a poo

No idea how to hold the bag in place. I think I will just have to wait until she starts to go - in the bathroom, and then swoop the bag under her. Or I could put the bag in her potty and hope she pees into the bag. Of course, she's never once peed or pooped on the potty, although she does sit on it. . .

Branster, she only poos once a day, so likely she won't poo. I'll try a couple of different methods here. Thanks again for your help.

phiu! what a task! i had to get samples like these twice for dd and it really takes ages. it really feels as if they'll never have a pee if you need something like this from them.

good luck! Let us know how it went!

Thanks, Branster. I'll let you know.

2babies, haven't just read your post so apologies if anyone has already mentioned this. There is a bag which sticks around the 'outer' bit of her fanny (sorry, lost for a better word), kind of sealing whatever comes out of her urinary tract. I know dd2 was about 18/20 months when I had to use it on her, mind you, and she threw a dicky fit once she'd weed in it. Aaaagh ... Sainsbury's car park .... Did the trick though

Have done several with my autistic son before potty training him. We just took his nappy off and trailed around after him until he weed. It became dh's job- he was much better at catching it than me. Sometimes it did take several hours of trailing around after him though.......