When does my child need antibiotics? | Urinary tract infection in children – How dangerous is it?

When does my child need antibiotics?

In most cases, children with urinary tract infections should be treated with antibiotics. The exception is urinary tract infections caused by viruses, as antibiotics are not effective in this case. In principle, the following rule applies to urinary tract infections: Infections without symptoms do not need to be treated with antibiotics!

So if a random finding is made that children have bacteria in their urine, this is not yet a cause for concern. Especially in children who are still wearing diapers, intestinal bacteria are perfectly normal even in the urethra area. Only when symptoms such as fatigue, pain when urinating and fever are added, antibiotic therapy makes sense.

Please contact your pediatrician for this. An uncomplicated urinary tract infection, which occurs once, does not cause any harm to children. Only when complications arise can this become a problem.

For example, the infection can spread in the body and lead to an inflammation of the kidneys. It is therefore particularly important to treat a bladder infection correctly when symptoms occur and to consult a doctor. Also the therapy with antibiotics is not always favorable with children, since it can confuse the intestine bacteria.

However with a urinary tract infection the antibiotic therapy is meaningful, in order to be able to avoid complications. If urinary tract infections occur repeatedly or are not treated adequately, damage to the urinary tract can occur. Are you concerned about the undesirable effects antibiotics could have on your child?

In children, various antibiotics are used for urinary tract infections. The most common are amoxicillin, gentamycin and ceftriaxone. Depending on which pathogen is found in the urine culture, other antibiotics can also be chosen.

These include tobramycin, ceftriaxone and amoxicillin in combination with clavulanic acid. With children over 12 years one can use once antibiotic, which is acquired in the pharmacy as granulates and drunk at home with some water. The active substance of this preparation is Fosfomycin. It is usually used in women – consult your pediatrician regarding the possibility of using it in your child.