Experiences of prophylactic antibiotics for a toddler with duplex kidney?

[Pippymcphee]

My daughter, 18 months, has just been diagnosed with a duplex kidney from an ultrasound, after having three UTI's this year.
Her doctor has suggested she go on prophylactic antibiotics for 2 years until her kidneys have grown and developed more, at which time she should hopefully be affected less by infections.
She's also been referred to a Nephrologist but we're waiting for that appointment.

Has anyone got any experience in this area with their little ones?
I'm feeling so very conflicted over it.
On the one hand, I know it'll help keep any infections at bay, reduce the risk of scarring and sepsis for example.
However, I'm worried about what they'll do to her gut, her immune system and so on.

She flares with her eczema any time she is on antibiotics, and we go back to square one on the milk ladder too.
We've been at the GP today with a fungal infection which has been caused by the latest round of antibiotics.
I'm just really concerned that they'll bring us more issues than they'll solve, so I'd love to hear about anyone else's experiences!

Hi, this isnt quite the same but my son at 8 months got a UTI. He had a scan and it showed his ureter was descending into his bladder and in time it would go back to normal. So he was on prophylactic antibiotic trimethroprim until about 4. It was ok. He managed to take the oral syringe independently at a young age.
He used to get sores on his bum when the antibiotics changed brands.
He did not have anything like eczema. I hope your daughter is ok. It's hard when they are so little. It will work out ok in the end. He's 20 and at uni x

My little one is 6, he has a duplex kidney too. We have just started on nightly nitrofurantoin as a prophylactic, prior to starting he was on a different antibiotic as a prophylactic for recurrent chest infections. For me, the risk to his kidneys etc from recurrent UTIs (he's had 6 this year alone and has previously had urosepsis) outweigh the negatives of the antibiotic.

My son was on prophylactic trimethoprim until the age of about two, as he has bladder and kidney problems associated with Spina Bifida and was catheterised several times a day.

It never gave him any problems that we were aware of. He did have mild eczema and asthma but they're both all over our family so I didn't make a connection.

My recollection is that it was a fairly small dose but he's 21 now so I can't remember specifics!

My son was on prophylactic antibiotics for about a year when he was two. A kink in his ureter was causing UTIs. He was fine afterwards. Reflux I think they called that problem.

My daughter now 27 was born with a different kidney defect but wasn't prophylactic trimethoprim from 3 months until about 12/13. The few times we stopped and she had UTIs.
She had 3 surgeries before 8yo but will never have 100% performing kidneys.
In the end we were told recurrent infections and the damage they leave not only scar the kidneys but in turn can also effect the heart.

Shes 27 now and living a fab healthy full life.

*was on

Thank you all for your replies. It's definitely helped. I'm going to start them with her next week. Funnily enough, she's ended up with a fungal nappy infection this week, and I'm sure that's due to back to back infections recently.
I just feel so awful for her. I definitely don't want any kidney damage or anything for her, so I suppose we'd better give them a go!

I think the antibiotics they give as prophylaxis are not as broad spectrum so less likely to give thrush/gut upset (you might want to look that up tho) or they are broad spectrum but don’t effect the gut etc in the same way.
My girl was on prophylactic nitrofurantoin but only for about 6 months (not duplex kidney). She has had round after round of antibiotics since then -I wish she’d been on it for longer.
The utis are getting less frequent & fortunately kidney scarring is mild, but it’s awful having to give so many antibiotics- I would stay on the prophylaxis!