Cystitis in children: what to do?

It is a common disorder in childhood, widespread especially among girls and adolescents. To avoid this there are some simple rules, such as drinking water frequently and having regular bowel functions.

It is a very annoying disorder that often affects girls and girls. Bladder infections, that is, cystitis, cause pain and burning at the time of urinating, force you to go to the toilet often, and in some cases also manifest themselves with a loss of blood along with urine. Sometimes the infection causes incontinence (you can’t hold urine) and unpleasant odors.

Almost all urinary tract infections are caused by bacteria that enter the urethral meatus, the duct that drains urine from the bladder and expels it from the body, and goes up to the bladder. Cystitis is more common in girls and adolescents because the female urethra is shorter and facilitates the ascent of bacteria along the urinary tract.

Beware of constipation and intimate hygiene

Giuseppe Di Mauro, president of SIPPS, the Italian Society of Preventive and Social Pediatrics, and family pediatrician in the Campania Region, explains: “Even children who often suffer from constipation are more predisposed to these infections. It is necessary to make sure that their intestinal functions are regular and that they consume foods that promote regularity. I recommend kiwi, apples, pears and cooked fruit. Vegetable soups are also very suitable».

“It is also important that the child drinks a good amount of water (at least half a liter in the morning), even during school hours. And in the interval of the lessons, the boys, but especially the girls, must be able to go to the bathroom when they feel the need. The bladder is a vessel, if it does not empty it can become infected. Even overweight or obese children need to drink plenty of water and empty their bladder often.”

If it recurs often, female cystitis can be favored by vulvovaginitis, being the genital area close to the urinary one. However, the vast majority of urinary infections are caused by intestinal bacteria (especially Escherichia Coli) that easily reach the nearby area of the urinary tract through the faeces. That is why it is very important to teach boys and girls careful intimate hygiene after going to the bathroom, also remembering not to use bubble bath in the genitourinary areas.

Diagnosis and treatment

Cystitis is easily treatable, but it is important to detect them early and follow the pediatrician’s directions for therapies.To understand exactly what it is, it is necessary to perform the urine test and urine culture, an investigation that serves to identify any bacteria, their quantity and the species to which they belong. In the event of a positive result, the doctor can then decide the type of antibiotic to prescribe.DI Mauro explains: “Under the age of two, childhood cystitis can be revealed by different signals: fever, loss of appetite, regurgitation, restlessness. In these cases, the pediatrician decides whether it is better to perform an ultrasound examination to rule out any malformations of the urinary tract or problems at the level of the kidneys, to determine how to proceed.