Reoccurring Urinary Tract Infections for 7 and 1/2 Years Old

A lot of water, fruits, veggies.
Stay away from refined sugars.
If we buy candy, muffins we usually go to whole foods....just made with better ingred.
Have you tried this? Some people are just more prone to infections.

L.,

I have this same problem, post cancer treatment. I found wearing cotton underpants and washing my clothing is perfume free detergent and dryer sheets helped. It hasn't solved the probelm completely, but it has made a difference. Going scent free for everything, shampoo, handsoap, lotions etc. makes a big difference.
Good luck!

E.

I would take a look at her diet. She may be getting too much sugar and yeast. One thing you can do is to have a blood alergy test done. She may have food allergies that is causing it.
Stephanie L

I had reoccuring bladder infections a couple of years ago and after being on and off of antibiotics (that never worked), I found out about D-Mannose. It is a natural sugar that inhibits the bad bacterias ability to attach to the bladder. So after one dose (less than a teaspoon in some juice) you basically pee out the bad bacteria. If I feel another infection coming on, I take some D-Mannose in the morning and it clears up immediately.

You can find this online or at a natural health food store like Vitamin Cottage. I get it in powder form so that I can take as much as I want, but I think you can also get a pill form. Also, you may need to give your daughter more than just one dose at first and hopefully she can tell you when the infection feels like it is going away.

Do your kids drink cranberry juice or eat yogurt? Try those and always wipe from the front to the back. I know how hard it is to have kids with UTI's...Although we have only experienced 1, that was enough! Try the cranberry juice...daily and a good yogurt with active yogurt cultures daily. Try the digestive ones and natural ones. Make sure it states active yogurt cultures on the label.

A.

My neighbor's daughter has the same problem. I gave her some colloidial silver, tea tree oil, and some bath salts with essential oils for when she wants to take a bath every once in a while. the silver was to spray on, the tea tree oil for a warm compress over the bladder 1-2 times a day, and the bath salts had some peppermint oil in them to help with the pain, although peppermint is also anti-infectious, antibacterial,antifungal, and is an anti-inflamitory for the urinary tract.
Email me if you have any questions about these things: ____@____.com Ellen

Get a copy of The Yeast Connection, diet and hygiene are big factors. The advice for cotton undies is good and some nice loose pj pants that she can wear without undies to sleep and to lounge. The no bubble baths is good advice and the bathroom wiping instructions. You could also get a plastic watering can, cut the curved portion of the spout off and teach her to fill it with comfortably warm water and use it to rinse herself, especially after a bowel movement, then to gently pat herself dry, always drying the vangial area first and then the anal area. This will reduce the possiblity of fecal bateria reaching the urinary area.

Cranberry juice is great but it can't be the cranberry cocktail. The sugar content will keep it from working. Get the 100% juice, usually there will be white grape juice used to sweeten the cranberry, since both have astrigency it works well.

Prolonged antibiotic use can be damaging to the body in many ways, since it isn't resolving the problem can you get her off it? Try another Dr., find one who practices integrated medicine. Ultra bifidous may help, a sugar free diet will help. A urologist may help. Doctors are educated guessers and because of insurance controls they are restricted in the time they can take and options they can try. You have to do your own research and be proactive for your child's health.

L., my 6 year old had this problem for years and we had ultra sounds done and the Dr.s said that was not the problem. Then I had a friend tell me to take her off milk, so I did and it solved the problem. She can have yogurt and cheese but she used to only drink soy milk. We just recently switched to Lactaid this month and she seems to be ok. It worked for us, hope you find what works for you. Also she cannot have bubble baths and I wash her hair and body right as she is getting out.

We fought this issue for what felt like forever with my daughter. She was on and off antibiotics, tried preventative antibiotics and the infection would break through those too. Finally we started a regular dose of Miralax in her morning apple juice and we haven't had an infection since. Talk with your doctor and she if your child is getting backed up.....it has made a world of difference for us!

Btw we did the cranberry, yogurt, showers, wiping front to back, etc as well and while they are all good advice they made no difference until we started the Miralax. She now has a small dose daily and has been UTI free for several years now. Good luck!!!

I don't know if this might be the situation with your daughter or not, but something similar happened to my daughter around that age, and we went through the same stuff. One doctor finally looked at her, and we realized that the skin in her vaginal area had grown together so that she had a very tiny opening for the urine to pass through. She had fallen on the arm of her rocking chair one time, and had gotten hurt, and when she healed the skin had grown together. We applied an estrogen cream, and soon she was back to normal, and she never had any infections again.

Try plain yogurt and pure cranberry juice. Mix them well and have her drink it. It works wonders. Also, make certain that she is drinking tonz of water. That always helps. Good Luck.

When I was in my very early 20s I personally went through a bout of UTI's. I was a frequent swimmer then and what helped me was to be sure that the area was COMPLETELY dry before putting on underwear; sleeping in PJ's but w/o underwear (to get air circulation); wearing 100% cotton panties, and drinking cranberry juice. Many little girls get yeast infections from wet swimsuits (like wearing them all day or days in a row). Somehow there is a connection in yeast infections and UTI's (I'm not sure what, but they seem to go hand in hand). I'd be inclined to cut back on the antibiotics because they can cause a secondary yeast infection (that I know--been there).
The other advice about wiping good (also make sure she's not using Kandoo or some other wet wipe on anything besides her butt and cut out all fragrance products, like wipes with fragrance and bubble bath).

I'm sure the dr's know best, but Cranberry juice is supposed to help with UTI and to also prevent them. Try giving her a glass a day and see what happens. I know that has worked for me.

I grew up on antibiotics for all of my kidney infections from age 3years old till 13, so I know what you are going threw. When I was 13 I got my tonsils out and the infections went away. It seems that whenever I got cold, sore throat or anything it would go to my kidneys. When I became an adult I got a kidney infection and since I took so many antibiotics when I was younger I could not get rid of kidney infections with antibiotics it just masked the infection while I was on them and then came back imediatly after I got off them. So I went to a Herbologist and she gave me some herbs and the infection was gone in 5 days. I highly recomend herbs I now use them to control my IBS. But find someone in your area that is knowledgable about herbs and take her for a consult. Also, like the doctor said lots of water and cranberry juice.

I feel like I am reading my own story. My daughter has had chronic UTIs for about 5 years now. She has reflux, but we had that fixed and she still has some recurrance. We have seen several uroligists and it wasn't until we saw the group at Primary Children's Hospital that I felt like we really got some good advice that helped. This is what they told us that nobody else told us:

1. Your child is probably constipated. This really aggrivates UTIs because their abdomen is alway full of poop and therefore always full of bacteria. She needs to be on a high fiber diet (this did wonders for my daughter).

2. If she has been having UTIs for over a year she probably has a weak bladder now. I bet it isn't emptying all of the way the first time. She needs to go again about 5-10 minutes after going (except when at school) to get the old, bacteria infested urine out.

3. Sugar provides great food for bacteria, particularly bacteria in her urinary tract. Put her on a low sugar diet, no juice or fruit snacks.

Avoid long term antibiotic use if at all possible. They are currently looking at a link between long term use of antibiotics and occurance of Type I daibetes. The evidence is pretty convincing so far that long term use of certain antibiotics can lead to Type I diabetes. My daughter took macrodantin for a whole year when she was four years old to help with the UTIs. She now is Type I diabetic and the antibiotic they had her on is one of the prime suspects (macrodantin). I am sure that is why she has it because there is absolutely no history of diabetes in mine or my husband's families. At the time there weren't other options so I don't lament the antibiotic use, but now there are other options now so please try to avoid antibiotics long term. A few months of use would be fine, but a year or more could be bad. Your doctor will probably not know about this study; it's likely your urologist will also not know about this study. I learned about it from my husband (an optometrit with lots of diabetic patients) and my daughter's diabetes doctor.

Another note on antibiotics. If your daughter is having a recurrance of UTIs every 2-3 weeks, it's the same UTI. She has a strain that is very resistant to antibiotics. My daughter has had about 3 like this and the way they finally got rid of the last one was to give her Septra and Macrodantin. She alternated each drug every other day. This tricks the bacteria and you are more likely to get rid of it.

I didn't check to see where you live, but if you are at all close to Salt Lake I highly recommend going to the Primary Children's urology group. They were fantastic. They were the only ones who could get rid of my daughters last stubborn UTI and she hasn't had another one since. If you don't live in the area try to track down a pediatric urologist, not just one that does everyone and happens to also treat children.

Hi L.,

I have this same problem with my daughter, we have tried everything, this has been going on sicne she was three and took a bath with Mr. Bubble soap. We recently went to a spealist she had no answers.. I just wanted to touch base with someone that that has this same problem. The latest from the dr. is she will grow out of it?

I am a mom of 4, 17,16, 7.5, and 3.

Just a quick question....how does she bathe? Does she shower or take a bath? If she takes a bath, does she use bubble bath or pour cleansing gel into the water for bubbles? I only ask because women that frequently use bubble bath often get frequent UTIs. If she does have soap in her bath water, try to cut that out. Switch to showers or even let her bathe, but drain out the water before she washes herself with soap and rinse off with the shower head. Obviously she needs to clean her genitals, but maybe get her a gentle cleanser, like summer's eve, for that, make sure she is VERY gentle and rises herself thoroughly. Try that as a pattern for a while, and see if that works. In addition, make sure she drinks plenty of plain water and cranberry juice. Best of luck!

L., I have had friends that had kids on antibiotics for long periods of time and they had more problems. We need to build up our immune system not take it away. To build her immune, She should take probiotics or yogurt to build up her natural flora in her digestive track. Then find some goldenseal for her defense. Go to the health food store to get it. They should be able to tell you how much to give her, if not, they can look it up. She needs to be off sugar for a few weeks also. Antibiotics for some children including my own can cause ADHD, so be careful.

hi i have a 7month old baby girl she is having recurring uti she has not had one break yet and now she is resitant to 5 antibiotics we cannot get her better. she has had 2 vcug they came back normal so im clueless i guess im asking you now since you have been through something similiar with your daughter i know this was a old post but maybe you could herlp me thanks

L.,
My grandaughter is 10. She has spina bifida and is in a wheelchair. She has the recurring urinary tract infections as she must be cathed regularly.

We put her on cranberry tablets one in the morning and one at night. You can use two. They seem to be working. She has already tried everything else and nothing worked including the antibiotics.

Shirley

Hi L.,

Try Jus -- it's a natural antioxidant drink that has worked wonders for my family It contains 23 herbs and berries and has natural antibiotics. I even know a few people who are disabled and have to use a cathater, and they get very frequent urinary and bladder infections. Since they have been on this product, they have not had to use any medicines. It's awesome and has a money back guarantee. try it! you can check it out at www.myjus23.com/C.

good luck, and if you want me info, e mail me.

C.

I have a friend, Vicki, who hasn't had a UTI since she got on some Nutritional Products with Herbalife. There is a particular natural herbal supplement that helped her. It's called Triple-Berry. Rather than drinking juice (which could actually contribute to UTI because of the sugars) this is a powerful herbal blend of cranberries, blueberries, and billberries, full of antioxidants. This supplement is pharmaceutically graded so it hardly has any fillers in it, opposed to herbal supplements off the shelf could have lots of fillers in them. It's inexpensive. If you are interested in taking a look at this, I'm a Personal Wellness Coach and you can contact me at 888-236-4453 or ____@____.com
-O.

Try D-Mannose with Cranactin. It makes it harder for bacteria to adhere! It's a capsule she can swallow or you could sprinkle on applesauce, etc.

Good luck!

Have her shower instead of taking baths and discourage soaping up down there too much. I had recurrent UTIs as a kid too. Bubble bath was a big culprit for me. Eventually (if I remember correctly) they had the opening of my urethra stretched and then I had little to no UTIs (also skipping bubble bath and other irratants in the bath water.

good luck,
R.

Get cranberry juice for her and have her drink it every single day.
It is an old remedy but it works and no expensive antibiotics.
My mother was prone to urinary tract infections, even after her hysterectomy.
But when she started drinking cranberry juice every day she never had another one.
So good luck.

Hi L.,

Up until 5 years ago, I suffered from recurring bladder/kidney infections, as well as sinus infections. I was going on antibiotics every 2 months, for about 10 years. I started taking Body Balance a little over 5 years ago (just for overall well-being), and I have not been on antibiotics (AT ALL, for anything!)since. I swear by the stuff and wouldn't be without it. And it's great for kids... it tastes good and they love it... mine RARELY get sick, even a cold, etc when stuff is going around. You can learn more here:
http://php.lifeforce.net/body-balance.php and if you decide to order, you'll need my pin # (20374028).

Please feel free to call or email me if you have questions! And there's a 45-day money-back guarantee so you can try it risk-free!

Hope this helps,

A.

Okay, this may sound crazy and the doctors may have already mentioned this to you, but does your daughter take baths or does she take showers? Does she use bubble bath at all?

The reason I ask is that before my step-daughter moved in with us (she was 7), she used to have chronic UTIs. She is now 16 and has not had one for 9 years. Our big change for her was to stop all baths. (she only takes showers now) Her bio mom used to bathe her with bubble bath constantly. The doctor believes that may have been the culprit. Something so simple and yet it caused huge issues for her.

Good luck to you and your daughter. I hope you find her some relief.

Hi L.,
This may help, have her wipe from front to back when she poops. This pulls the poop back away from her vaginal area and not onto it. I also have heard not to use bubble bath, don't know why but have her shower after a bath if possible.
Good luck,
SarahMM

I'm hoping the dr already said this, but ...
No bubble baths. Shampoo last and get her out of tub right away. Better yet, let her shower. Teach her to always wipe front-to-back after going to the toilet. Cotton undies, too (though I think that's more for yeast infections), and make sure she changes them daily.

Good luck!!

My daughter went through the same things. Remind her to wipe front to back and not come back and wipe again with the same piece of toilet paper. Also, our pediatrician had her sit on the toilet backwards (so her front side faced the tank). This way she could empty better. Also, we had her go then sit down and immediately sit down and go again. Eventually, she started to get a handle on complete elimination and wiping properly. We did all the testing as well, it was just improper wiping and elimination. Good luck it is frustrating. But it will probably resolve with a little effort.

Try to have her drink at least 4-8 oz. glasses of water every day. (Of course, 8 glasses is what everyone is supposed to drink). Cranberry juice is good too, but most kids won't drink very much of it straight. It's good mixed with apple or grape juice. What I highly recommend is -- Acidolphilus. It will fix all the bad bacteria in less than 3 days. Either get liquid form, open capsule and put on something she eats, or get the good kind of yogurt for her to eat 1/2 C everyday. I like Nancy's brand (sold at WINCO and Fred Meyer's here). You can make a yogurt shake for her everyday by adding half of a frozen banana and a couple frozen strawberries to the yogurt, so you don't have to add any sugar. Plus, make sure she is cleaning herself well everyday.

Antibiotics only temporary fix a problem. I think they actually cause more problems because it kills the good bacteria that we need, and that's what acidophilus does, it gives us back the good bacteria that we need.