Urinary Tract Infection in ChildrenSymptoms, Doctors, Treatments, Advances & More
Learn About Urinary Tract Infection in Children
View Main Condition: Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)
A urinary tract infection is a bacterial infection of the urinary tract. This article discusses urinary tract infections in children.
The infection can affect different parts of the urinary tract, including the bladder (cystitis), kidneys (pyelonephritis), and urethra (urethritis), the tube that empties urine from the bladder to the outside.
UTI - children; Cystitis - children; Bladder infection - children; Kidney infection - children; Pyelonephritis - children
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) can occur when bacteria get into the bladder or the kidneys. Bacteria are commonly present on the skin around the anus. They can also be present near the vagina.
Some factors make it easier for bacteria to enter or stay in the urinary tract, such as:
- Vesicoureteral reflux in which urine flow backs up from the bladder into the ureters and kidneys.
- Brain or nervous system illnesses (such as myelomeningocele or spinal cord injury).
- Bubble baths or tight-fitting clothes (girls).
- Changes or birth defects in the structure of the urinary tract.
- Not urinating often enough during the day.
- Wiping from back (near the anus) to front after going to the bathroom. In girls, this can bring bacteria to the opening where the urine comes out.
UTIs are more common in girls. This may occur as children begin toilet training around 3 years of age. Boys who are not circumcised have a slightly higher risk of UTIs before age 1.
Young children with UTIs may have a fever, poor appetite, vomiting, or no symptoms at all.
Most UTIs in children only involve the bladder. It may spread to the kidneys.
Symptoms of a bladder infection in children include:
- Blood in the urine
- Cloudy urine
- Foul or strong urine odor
- Frequent or urgent need to urinate
- General ill feeling (malaise)
- Pain or burning with urination
- Pressure or pain in the lower pelvis or lower back
- Wetting problems after the child has been toilet trained
Signs that the infection may have spread to the kidneys include:
- Chills with shaking
- Fever
- Flushed, warm, or reddened skin
- Nausea and vomiting
- Pain in the side (flank) or back
- Severe pain in the belly area
In children, UTIs should be treated quickly with antibiotics to protect the kidneys. Any child under 6 months old or who has other complications should see a specialist right away.
Younger infants will most often need to stay in the hospital and be given antibiotics through a vein. Older infants and children are treated with antibiotics by mouth. If this is not possible, they may need to get treated in the hospital.
Your child should drink plenty of fluids when being treated for a UTI.
Some children may be treated with antibiotics for periods as long as 6 months to 2 years. This treatment is more likely when the child has had repeat infections or high grade vesicoureteral reflux.
After antibiotics are finished, your child's provider may ask you to bring your child back to do another urine test. This may be needed to make sure that bacteria are no longer in the bladder.
The Paul C. Gaffney Division Of Pediatric Hospital Medicine
Catherine Forster, MD, specializes in pediatric hospital medicine and is board-certified by the American Board of Pediatrics. She is affiliated with UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. Dr. Forster received her medical degree from Thomas Jefferson University Sidney Kimmel Medical College and completed her residency at Boston Children's Hospital, followed by a fellowship at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. Dr. Forster is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Urinary Tract Infection in Children. She is also highly rated in 1 other condition, according to our data. Her clinical expertise encompasses Urinary Tract Infection in Children and Micrognathia. Dr. Forster is board certified in American Board Of Pediatrics and American Board Of Pediatrics.
University Of Pittsburgh Physicians, Department Of Pediatrics
Nader Shaikh, MD, MPH, is a professor of pediatrics and clinical and translational Science at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in the Division of General Academic Pediatrics. Dr. Shaikh is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Urinary Tract Infection in Children. He is also highly rated in 3 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Urinary Tract Infection in Children, Otitis Media with Effusion, Streptococcal Group A Infection, Neonatal Sepsis, and Myringotomy. Dr. Shaikh is board certified in American Board Of Pediatrics.
Pediatric Primary Care (Upper Level) In Oakland
Dr. Alejandro Hoberman graduated from medical school and general pediatrics residency in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He completed a General Academic Pediatrics fellowship at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and joined the faculty at the University of Pittsburgh.He currently heads the Division of General Academic Pediatrics, is the executive vice chair and vice chair for Clinical Research in the Department of Pediatrics, and has been established as the Jack L. Paradise Distinguished Service Professor in honor of his research mentor. Dr. Hoberman also has administrative responsibilities as the president of UPMC Children’s Community Pediatrics, the largest primary care pediatrics organization in western and central Pa. with 58 offices including Express Care locations and over 1M yearly visits.Dr. Hoberman is very involved in research related to acute otitis media (AOM). He has contributed studies to enhance prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of this frequently occurring condition. He has also contributed studies related to prevalence, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up imaging of urinary tract infections (UTI) in children.Click here to view Dr. Hoberman’s Department of Pediatrics bio page which has more information about his specific research endeavors, including publications, leadership positions, awards, and more.Click here to view Dr. Hoberman’s full list of publications from PubMed. Dr. Hoberman is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Urinary Tract Infection in Children. He is also highly rated in 3 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Urinary Tract Infection in Children, Otitis Media with Effusion, High Blood Pressure in Infants, Diarrhea, and Myringotomy. Dr. Hoberman is board certified in American Board Of Pediatrics.
Most children are cured with proper treatment. Most of the time, repeat infections can be prevented.
Repeated infections that involve the kidneys can lead to long-term damage to the kidneys.
Contact your child's provider if your child's symptoms continue after treatment, or come back more than twice in 6 months or your child has:
- Back pain or flank pain
- Bad-smelling, bloody, or discolored urine
- Fever of 102.2°F (39°C) in infants for longer than 24 hours
- Low back pain or abdominal pain below the belly button
- Fever that does not go away
- Very frequent urination, or need to urinate many times during the night
- Vomiting
Things you can do to prevent UTIs include:
- Avoid giving your child bubble baths.
- Have your child wear loose-fitting underpants and clothing.
- Increase your child's intake of fluids.
- Keep your child's genital area clean to prevent bacteria from entering through the urethra.
- Teach your child to go the bathroom several times every day.
- Teach your child to wipe the genital area from front to back to reduce the spread of bacteria.
To prevent recurrent UTIs, the provider may recommend low-dose antibiotics after the first symptoms have gone away.
Summary: Urinary tract infections are very common in pediatrics. Urinary antibiotic prophylaxis is commonly used in children with malformative uropathies. Long-term, low-dose antibiotic prophylaxis with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole has been associated with a decrease in the number of urinary tract infections in susceptible children, but not systematically with a decrease in the risk of renal scarring (dep...
Summary: The primary objective of the study is to assess the safety and tolerability of meropenem-vaborbactam administered by intravenous (IV) infusion in children 3 months and above to less than 12 years with complicated urinary tract infections (cUTI), including acute pyelonephritis (AP).
Published Date: January 01, 2026
Published By: Charles I. Schwartz, MD, FAAP, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Regional Medical Director of Penn Medicine Primary and Specialty Care, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, General Pediatrician at PennCare for Kids, Phoenixville, PA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
American Academy of Pediatrics website. Subcommittee on urinary tract infection. Reaffirmation of AAP clinical practice guideline: the diagnosis and management of the initial urinary tract infection in febrile infants and young children 2-24 months of age. Pediatrics. 2016;138(6):e20163026. PMID: 27940735 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27940735/.
Hari P, Meena J, Kumar M, et al. Evidence-based clinical practice guideline for management of urinary tract infection and primary vesicoureteric reflux. Pediatr Nephrol. 2024;39(5):1639-1668. PMID: 37897526 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37897526/.
Mattoo TK, Shaikh N, Nelson CP. Contemporary management of urinary tract infection in children. Pediatrics. 2021;147(2):e2020012138. PMID: 33479164 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33479164/.
Stapleton AE, Endo Z, Blaser MJ, Sobel JD. Urinary tract infections. In: Blaser MJ, Cohen JI, Holland SM, et al, eds. Mandell, Douglas and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2026:chap 74.
Wang ME, Chang PW. Urinary tract infections. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, et al, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 22nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2025:chap 575.