Say Bye to UTI: Prevent UTI in Kids

I was away for around four days because Bella was sick. I mentioned about her fever in my previous post. I thought it went away but it didn’t. It kept coming back. After urinalysis, we found out she had UTI (urinary tract infection). The doctor advised us to admit her to the hospital especially that she resists taking her medicines. It was heartbreaking to see her cry when the IV was inserted. It is like every moment in the hospital is an added trauma to her. But we are left with no choice. We needed to stay until she is okay. We stayed there for three days. And I do not want it to happen again.


It is not the hospital bill or the stress that bothers me but it is the pain and trauma that Bella feels. All of us can feel her pain and her fear. She cries every time a nurse enters the room. She anticipates pain upon seeing them. I even joked that the nurses should wear a clown costume so that Bella won’t be crying. Anyway, Bella is okay now. When I say okay, she is totally back to her old self again- the hyper active baby. But like what I said, I do not want her to experience the pain again. Hence, we need to take steps to prevent UTI.


I am sharing these tips to you as well so your kids could do away with urinary tract infection. This is common to kids these days especially with the food that is available in the market. I do cook for Bella but sometimes, she would eat noodles which I think is the cause of her UTI or maybe it was caused by her diaper. That is why using cloth diapers is really better.


So, to avoid UTI, here are a few things I found around the web and as per doctor’s advice too.


1. Avoid processed foods, salty foods and junk foods. If there are intake of these, keep it to minimum. It is better to cook everything in your own kitchen to make sure that you kids will get the nutrients they need and avoid those that might harm them.


2. Make sure your kids drink lots of water. At least 8 ounces of water for toddlers and 6 to 8 glasses for kids is the recommended intake per day. You can also let them drink juice like Cranberry so that they will have enough liquids in their body. But make sure that they won’t drink too much juice especially for toddlers. Limit it to 4 to 6 ounces a day. It is important to have enough intake of liquids so the body can produce urine and flush bacteria away.


3. If you are using disposable diapers, change it often. Clean the genitals with water before putting a new one.


4. Switch to cotton underwear because it can lessen irritation to kid’s genitals. Avoid too tight pants too. That is why it is also recommended to use cloth diapers instead of using disposable ones. Oh. This reminds me again that I need to buy cloth diapers for Bella.


5. Try not to let your child become constipated since it can also lead to UTI. So, make sure that they are always hydrated. Let them eat fruits and vegetables so they can get enough fiber.


6. Avoid using harsh soaps in their genitals. It is better to use warm water in cleaning them. Bubble baths should be avoided too.


7. For toddlers that are already potty training, remind them to pee at least every three hours. Sometimes they are so occupied playing that they would just hold urine.


So, these are the things that I and all the parents out there needs to take note of. I do not want your kids to get UTI like Bella. I do not want Bella to get it again too! Let us do our best to take good care of our kids so we can all say bye to UTI and other sickness.

But I still wonder. No matter how hard we take care of them, they would eventually get sick.