It Takes More Than Smelly Pee To Discern Your Child’s Bladder Infection
A study of 331 children aged one year to 36 months revealed that a mere whiff of smelly urine is not all that reliable. Of the children who were diagnosed with a UTI (about 15% in the group), 57% of those parents said that their child had smelly pee two days prior to taking them to the emergency room. Of the children who didn’t have UTIs, 32% also reported an off odor.
Although “stinky urine” is a noted link to a UTI, doctors confirm that it is not a prerequisite to the infection:
“It is associated with a urine infection, but the association isn’t that strong,” [Dr. Marie] Gauthier told Reuters Health. “To have stinky urine in itself isn’t proof of urine infection. Not at all.”
Although smelly diapers should definitely be checked out by a doctor, there is little reason to start counting your UTIs before they’re diagnosed.
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