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Original poster

UTI in a 5 year old

17 replies

WigWamBam · 11/01/2007 22:08

Had to take dd to the out-of-hours GP tonight with blood in her urine. I have antibiotics for her, but is there anything I can give her for the pain until they kick in?

If it were me I'd be using OTC sachets and glugging bicarbonate of soda, but I can't give dd the sachets and I know she wouldn't even consider the bicarb! I don't know what I can do for a 5 year old other than keep shoving water down her.

Anyone have any suggestions? She's miserable with the pain.

OP posts:

tomps · 11/01/2007 22:11

I had cystitis when pregnant and couldn't take anything ... except cranberry juice, which worked really quickly. Dd has had mild infection recently too and cranberry juice sorted her out within 24 hours. Ocean spray contains loads of sugar to make it palatable or you can mix with apple juice. It's good for them to be drinking lots anyway to flush it out. Good luck.

hairymclary · 11/01/2007 22:13

apparently putting bicarb in the bath is good

also agree with the cranberry (sainsburys own is lovely- i tried them all during a recent bout!)
and drinking plenty of water as well to dilute the urine

NotQuiteCockney · 11/01/2007 22:15

Sitting in a bath (and peeing in it, sorry) is meant to help. I think putting baking soda in the bath helps, too. And I'd max dose the iboprofen (Kid Neurophen or whatever).

Obviously, there are things to keep her from getting this again, this page is reasonably informative. I hadn't heard the thing about peeing after a bath, but it makes sense.

TickledPink · 11/01/2007 22:15

Aw bless her, poor thing. Can you give her calpol or childrens nurofen? What about a hot water bottle maybe?

Hattie05 · 11/01/2007 22:15

Another vote for cranberry juice here. My dd has suffered with this several times, she is 4. She glugs cranberry juice now as she knows it makes her better - be warned there maybe many desperate races to the toilet whislt drinking it! But at least it flushes out their system.

Pretty scary when you see blood there isn't it, i was terrified the first time i saw this in my dd's knickers.

dinny · 11/01/2007 22:17

poor dd, WWB, my dd had a UTI and she was in so much pain. she wouldn't really drink anything, found it hard to offer her any comfort except by wrapping a hot water bottle in a towel and putting it on her tummy and doing a bath with a drop of lavender in it. but the antiobiotics worked REALLY fast, hope she feels better soon xxx

Original poster

WigWamBam · 11/01/2007 22:20

I panicked completely when she told me there was blood in the toilet - and there seemed to be so much of it, it really scared me.

I shall be shoving water and cranberry juice into her tomorrow until she thinks she's drowning in it! She likes cranberry juice, so that's at least one plus point.

I think I shall keep her off school as well, so that I can make sure she drinks plenty - sometimes she doesn't have a drink all day, and I suspect that she also hangs onto her wee sometimes when she's at school too, which won't help. Will be digging the hot water bottle out too.

Bicarb in the bath - yes, I think I've still got some in the cupboard.

Thanks for that link, NQC - looks very useful.

Thank you all.

OP posts:

tomps · 11/01/2007 22:24

I have no medical or scientific experience, but I'm sure I read once that weeing in the bath can actually cause or prolong an infection because capillary action causes water containing the nasty bacteria to be drawn back up the urethra. Maybe someone better informed can confirm or deny this.

Hattie05 · 11/01/2007 22:28

I think thats why my dd gets them wwb, she often comes home from pre-school absolutely desperate for a wee - she's not big on using loos outside of the home and has an amazing ability to hold on to for hours and hours. she also is not one to ask for a drink, if i give her a drink she will drink a whole glass, but she rarely comes and asks of her own accord. So i vow to be on my toes from now on and force drinks down her hourly!

Hope your dd gets better soon wwb. NHS direct did advice calpol when i once rang them, although my dd only complains of pain when she is actually weeing so not sure how helpful it is.

Original poster

WigWamBam · 11/01/2007 22:28

Oh, right, thank you - maybe I'll hang fire on telling her to wee in the bath then, unless someone knows more about that.

OP posts:

Hattie05 · 11/01/2007 22:30

I think the bath suggestion, is just to ensure they do wee if the pain is stopping them from weeing at all. Alternative is to pour warm water over them whilst they are weeing - a drop of tea tree oil in the water can be soothing and antibac also.

Original poster

WigWamBam · 11/01/2007 22:32

Hattie, she complains of pain when she wees, but then it keeps hurting her for a while afterwards - I know what she means because that's how I am with UTIs as well, and it's miserable. I gave her some Calpol when she went to bed thinking that if it didn't help it at least wouldn't do any harm.

She only told me today that she's frightened of the toilets at school, so I think we need to do a little bit of work with her there. Plus her drink bottle came home full again today, she says she doesn't have time to have a drink some days - so maybe a word with the teachers is due.

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Original poster

WigWamBam · 11/01/2007 22:33

Oh yes - a cold pour while she's weeing. Why didn't I think of that!

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Original poster

WigWamBam · 11/01/2007 22:34

Hmm - probably because my brains aren't in.

A warm pour ...

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tomps · 11/01/2007 22:37

This is so bad isn't it - at least 3 little girls here who get potentially serious infections because the school can't even keep the bloody toilets clean. I'm seeing our head tomorrow about dd's school loos - dd rarely uses them but was so desparate before we left the other day that I took her in to use them. She wouldn't even though she was so desparate and I don't blame her, they stank and the wee was all over the place. Isn't it obvious that toilets used by small children who are probably still learning how to actually use them unassisted need frequent and regular cleaning ? Sorry rant over. WWB hope your dd feels much better very soon.

foxinsocks · 11/01/2007 22:37

poor dd WWB - how painful for her.

Yes, definitely have a word with the teachers. It's so easy for them to forget to drink. Also, being constipated can be a factor (which also can follow on from not drinking enough) so if she has problems in that area, perhaps try and up her liquids and fibre/fruit and veg.

Hope the pain meds kick in and the antibs work quickly.

Original poster

WigWamBam · 11/01/2007 22:45

She's pooing OK, fox, so no worries there - she gets plenty of fruit and veg so doesn't often have a problem with constipation.

I'll definitely have a chat with her teachers. They seem keen to encourage drinking plenty of water, they have Brain Gym sessions twice a day and are meant to have a drink with that, but I suspect dd doesn't always have hers. She tells me she's not allowed to have a drink at break time, only when they have their piece of fruit, so I'll check about that because I think she's mistaken.

Funny you should mention the dirty loos ... dd had to go before we left school today and the smell was awful. I know they clean them every night, but it's not often enough. There are two lots of toilets for nearly 300 pupils ... that much pee needs more cleaning than that.

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