Tag:ultrasound, urinary tract infection, UTI

My little prince has gone for an ultrasound test to rule out any urinary tract blockage which may cause urinary tract infection. This was done on the advice of his doctor. It was a long wait at the hospital on the morning that we went but the wait is worth it. The results was comforting as the kidneys, bladder and ureter are all normal. No abnormalities were observed.

He is fine now and eating well. Having a good appetite and as cheeky as usual. What a joy to see him in good health. Hopefully that he will put on more weight as he is quite a bit under weight. Way to go my little one.

Tag:bacteria, Klesiella, urinary tract infection, urine infection, UTI

This article is a follow up to my article entitled urinary tract infection. My 20 months old son has recovered from urinary tract infection after a week on antibiotic. The fever subsided and he is now back to his normal self. Following the advise of his doctor, we sent his urine for culture 3 days after he completed his course of antibiotic to ensure that all the bacteria was destroyed. We do not want any remnants to create another round of infection.

4 days later, we got the results. It actually gave us a shock. The culture showed a new strain of bacteria call Klebsiella infecting his urine. This strain of bacteria is not common and ussually acquired from an admission to the hospital. And this is one nasty bacteria which can also cause pneumonia. On the night of getting the results, my son came down with slight fever and runny nose. The first thought that came to my mind is that the new strain of bacteria is acting up. Fearing the worse, we sent another urine sample to the same lab to confirm the earlier results and another one to a different lab just to double confirm.

We got the results of the second sample from the first lab which tested positive for Klebsiella earlier. This time the results is negative. There is no bacteria growth in the urine. That means to say that the first results is not accurate. The sample may have been contaminated in the lab. This shouldn’t have happened and caused us unnecessary worries. Meanwhile we are waiting for the report from the other lab. If it is negative, then it proves that the first Klebsiella results is wrong and not accurate.

Tag:bacteria, urinary tract infection, urine test, UTI, VCUG

My 20 months old toddler was down with high fever last week for 5 days. Thought that it was viral fever as doctor couldn’t find anything wrong with him. On looking back to the first day when he had fever, we realised that his urine had an odd smell. So we decided to send his urine for a urine FEME test. The result showed that there are white blood cells in his urine. This is a sign of urine infection but can only be confirmed by a urine culture. He recovered and has no more fever after 5 days. But today, four days after the fever subsided, it came back again. It was good that yesterday, we decided to send his urine for another urine FEME test and culture. Again the test confirmed that there are white blood cells in his urine and the culture shows positive for bacteria. Thus it is confirmed that he has urinary tract infection (UTI). The doctor put him on antibiotic to clear the infection.

The doctor told us that for a boy especially under two years old, there is a possibility that there are some problems with the child’s urinary tract. Problems that cause UTI may include blockages and a condition called vesicoureteral reflux (VUR). VUR is where urine from the bladder backs up into the kidneys. VUR is found in 30 to 40 percent of babies and young children who have UTIs.

The doctor recommended some tests to be done to rule out blockages and VUR.

1. Ultrasound which uses sound waves to show a picture of the kidneys and bladder.

2. A voiding cystourethrogram (VCUG) which will show whether urine is backing up from the child’s bladder into the kidneys.During VCUG, X-rays are taken before and after a liquid dye is put into the bladder using a tube through the urethra.

The thought of VCUG and how they insert the tube worries me a lot. I can’t bear to see my little child goes through all these. The pain and the discomfort he has to go through. I will just pray that his infection is caused by bacteria from outside and not due to internal problem. Then he does not have to go through all these.

Tag:medicine, over the counter drugs, prescription

It is not safe to give your child over-the-counter drugs especially if they are under the age of 4 years old.

In January 2008 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommended that these drugs should not  used to treat infants and children under 2 years of age. These drugs can have serious and even life-threatening side effects. And as of October 2008, under pressure from the FDA, drug makers are now relabeling their products to inform the consumers that these drugs should not be given to children under 4.

If your baby has fever, consult your doctor about giving him infant acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Don’t ever give your baby aspirin as it makes him more susceptible to Reye’s syndrome, a rare but potentially fatal disease.

I have always kept a bottle of the medicine such as for flu or fever prescribed by my pediatrician in the fridge so that I can give it to my child when necessary. I felt that this way is better because the medicine was prescribed by a qualified doctor and not over the counter. It is safer to give my child medicine that is prescribed by a pediatrician. But I make sure that I don’t keep the medicine for too long. I will always get a new bottle and discard the old ones when there is a visit to the doctor when my child is sick. Be sure to ask the doctor for the correct dosage if you do keep the medicine in the fridge like I do because as the child grows older, the dosage has to be increased.

Tag:antibiotic, bacteria infection, sore throat, viral infection

My baby was down with throat problem last week.

It started with cough and a visit to the doctor confirmed that his throat was red and that was the reason he coughed because of the throat irritation. I noticed that every time he has throat problem, he tends to do this swallowing sound as if he swallowed a big gulp of water.

Doctor prescribed him antibiotic for a week. It was a challenge to feed him the medicine. The first mouthful made him vomit. But subsequently he got used to the taste after a few days of taking the medicine but still put on  a little bit struggle though.

Doctor said that sore throat is usually not an emergency unless it is epiglottitis which is very rare nowadays, thanks to the Hib vaccines. An infection of the flap of throat tissue that prevents food and liquids from going down the windpipe, epiglottitis makes it hard to breathe as well as to swallow.

For most viral infections, no treatment is available or necessary. Your baby’s immune system can usually neutralize these invaders within a week. He’ll benefit from plenty of rest and fluids. If your baby’s sore throat is caused by bacteria, the doctor will prescribe antibiotic You must follow strictly to the instruction given by the doctor in giving the antibiotic. Do not slack off.  If you stop giving the antibiotic too soon, the bacteria can rally and reemerge quickly in a more severe form. Ensure that you complete the full course of antibiotic prescribed.

Bacteria and viral infection are very contagious. Make sure you observe good hygiene and do not share eating utensils.

Tag:High fever, temperature, viral infection

A baby is considered having high fever if the temperature is more than 38.5°C

for babies more than three months of age. Fever is usually caused by a viral infection in a child. It is a sign that your child is fighting an illness. Check the temperature and give syrup Paracetamol or Paracetamol suppositories through the anus as per recommended dosage. Sponge the child two to three times (even at night) when the temperature is more than 38.5°C.

* First of all, take off all the clothes.

* Wrap a wet towel around the body. Use another wet towel and sponge arms and face.

* After two minutes, rinse the towels in water and wrap and sponge again

The child may shiver during sponging, but this stops when the temperature is down. After 10 minutes, dry and dress the child in loose clothes and place the child under a fan for half an hour. The fever will settle. Monitor the child to see if he is drinking , eating and playing well in spite of the fever. Give extra fluids and make sure he passes urine as usual. Should the fever continue, consult a doctor immediately.

Symptoms to be worried about:

* Unusually hot or cold body

* Fits, drowsy or unusually quiet or lethargic, hard to wake up or floppy

* Rapid, breathing difficulty grunting, coarse, honking cough, wheezing

* Frequent vomiting and loose stools

* Keeps refusing food and drinks

* Cries for a long time or screams intermittently

* Earache or child pulls ear

Should the symptoms persist, call your doctor or take the child to the nearest hospital.

For babies younger than three months of age with high fever, give syrup Paracetamol as per recommended dosage, sponge and seek medical help immediately.

Article courtesy of Dr SL Koe Paediatrician & Lactation Consultant