Urine analysis in infants: normal indicators and rules for preparing for urine collection

In a newborn and infant

Newborns and infants very often have poor results precisely because of poor genital hygiene, so this is the most important part of the collection of material, which parents should pay close attention to.
Since urine is usually taken to the laboratory in the morning, the collection procedure should begin immediately after the baby wakes up. The baby's genitals should be washed with warm running water without using baby bathing products. If your child can already sit, you can sit him on a specially washed and dried potty, wait until he urinates, then pour the material into a container intended for this purpose.

Disposable pediatric sterile urine bags (we recommend reading: how is a urine bag used for newborns?)

Pharmacies sell special urinals for parents of infants. They come in two types (for boys and for girls) and are a plastic bag with a sticky edge that can be attached to the baby's genitals. After this, you just need to wait a little and then collect the material in a container.

They come in two types for boys and girls and are a plastic bag with a sticky edge that can be attached to the baby's genitals.

Poor urine test in a child: table with explanation, causes, treatment

To assess the child’s health and identify possible pathologies, laboratory testing of biological material, in particular urine, is important. At the same time, a bad urine test in a child always causes panic among parents. But a deviation from the norm does not in all cases indicate the presence of some disease.

What does a bad urine test mean?

“Bad” are traditionally considered analysis results that differ from the established norm. If the doctor notes the presence of deviations in any indicators, he informs the child’s parents about this and prescribes additional diagnostic procedures. You may also need to seek advice from specialists recommended by your pediatrician.

In this case, the following indicators are of decisive importance for deciphering the analysis:

IndicatorNormPossible deviationsPossible reasons for deviations

Why a child’s urine test is bad, reasons for deviation from the norm

A child may have a bad urine test if the urine was collected incorrectly. If all collection rules were followed, then this is a sign of disease.

Children, like their parents, have to undergo regular urine tests. This is either a regular medical examination, or the doctor decides that the child needs to be examined. It’s good when the test results are normal, then parents and the pediatrician have no reason to worry. But if a child’s urine test is poor, the reasons may be different, and they do not always indicate the presence of pathology.

Causes of deviations from the norm not related to disease

If a child has a bad urine test, this does not always mean that the baby is sick. The reasons for the deviation may be different. Let's look at the main ones, which most often lead to incorrect analysis results.

1. The urine was collected not in a sterile container, but in a dirty pot. It is better to use special containers for this, which are sold in pharmacies. If you need to do a baby urine test, you can buy urine collectors for small children, which can be attached to the body to wait until the baby goes to the toilet. Or you can collect the urine in a sterile saucer.
2. Before taking the urine test, the child was not eating properly. You can't change his diet. So, the sugar level will be increased if, before taking the test, he ate a lot of pastries, cakes, cookies, pasta dishes or potatoes.
3. You gave medications the day before, which also affect the quality of your urine.
4. The urine was not collected in the morning. It is best to bring the first morning urine and release the first portion of it into the toilet.
5. The baby ran and jumped a lot before taking tests or went to the bathhouse. Physical activity leads to the appearance of red and white blood cells, as well as protein, i.e. I get a bad urine test.
6. You forgot to wash your child. The genitals must be clean, so first you need to wash them thoroughly with soap and then dry them with a clean towel.
7. You left a container of urine in the room where it sat for too long. Urine must be taken to the laboratory immediately, within 2 hours. As a last resort, it can be stored in the refrigerator for some time.

If you did everything correctly, but your child still has a bad urine test, this may indicate certain diseases. It is necessary to retake the tests, trying to do everything correctly, and if the result does not improve, you need to undergo a more thorough examination so that the doctor can make a diagnosis.

Baby tests

It can be especially difficult to collect a urine test from an infant. In order for the result to be correct, immediately after waking up, wash the child, and then attach the urine bag to the perineum using special Velcro. You need to purchase it in advance at the pharmacy; it is better to buy several pieces. Take the baby in your arms and turn on the water so that he can go to the toilet faster. You shouldn't lay it down. When the baby has done his job, pour the contents of the urine bag into a jar. A baby's urine is normally light, slightly yellow in color, and has no odor. It remains clear for 2 hours.

What does a bad urine test indicate in an infant:

1. Cloudy urine. It is possible that the child has a bacterial infection.
2. The relative density of an infant should be 1008-1018. If it is increased, then this indicates the presence of protein or glucose, and if it is decreased, then this indicates kidney disease.
3. The pH level should be from 4.5 to 7. If the baby has an acidic pH reaction, then the child eats a lot of protein foods. If the numbers are too high, this indicates diabetes, kidney failure or fever. An alkaline reaction occurs if the baby eats vegetables. But in general, an alkaline environment indicates diseases of the genitourinary system caused by infections.
4. The amount of protein in an infant should not be more than 0.002 g/l. If there is more, then something is wrong with the kidneys.
5. The presence of sugar in the urine is possible endocrine diseases and even diabetes.

The doctor pays attention to other components. Only a doctor can decipher the results of a urine test, and he will decide what a bad urine test indicates.

Analysis in older children

In an older child, the reasons for a bad urine test are the same as in infants. Only a doctor can carry out an accurate decoding; he will also look at other symptoms.

A healthy baby's urine is the color of straw, i.e. yellow. If it is dark yellow, then this indicates either dehydration (this happens with frequent diarrhea and vomiting) or heart failure. Pale urine is also not very good, because... indicates kidney pathology or diabetes mellitus. If it is almost black, then this indicates either an infection or liver disease. It can turn red with glomerulonephritis, pyelonephritis, etc. or if the child was fed beets or blueberries the day before, he took medications that change the color of urine. Urine should be clear; if it is cloudy, then this is also a sign of illness.

The norms for urine density are different for each age; if they are elevated, then the child either has diabetes mellitus, or glomerulonephritis, or has lost a lot of fluid. With renal failure or taking diuretics, the density of urine decreases. If a child who is physically poorly developed, aged 7 to 16 years, takes the test, then he may have protein in his urine, but according to the norm it should not be more than 0.033 g/l, otherwise the child has urinary tract or kidney disease. Glucose level is not higher than 0.8 mmol/l; if these numbers are too high, then it could be either diabetes mellitus, or pheochromocytoma, etc. The presence of ketone bodies may also indicate diabetes mellitus. There should be no bilirubin in the urine. If it is found, then the child has serious problems with the liver, for example, hepatitis develops. The presence of urobilinogen also indicates hepatitis and cirrhosis of the liver.

An accurate diagnosis can only be made by a doctor who has received special education. If in doubt, go to another specialist.

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When is a urine test prescribed for a baby?

This diagnostic method makes it possible to identify many pathologies without harming the child. There is no safer test than urine testing. In terms of its effectiveness, the study can compete even with ultrasound. It should be taken into account that ultrasound has some negative effects on a fragile body, so experts have ambivalent views on this method of determining diseases.

A urine test of an infant can be prescribed at the slightest suspicion of a viral or infectious disease. In addition, the results may indicate the development of some serious developmental disorders, as well as pathology of internal organs.

Therefore, it is very important to periodically take a urine test until the child is one year old. This is necessary even for preventive purposes, since this diagnostic method allows you to immediately determine the presence of health problems, which makes it possible to cure the disease without consequences for the development of the child’s body.

Causes of poor urine test results in a child

If the examination reveals a poor urine test in a child, the reasons for such results may be different. In most cases, this may indicate the development of a disease or pathological processes in the baby.

A urine test, like a clinical blood test, is considered a mandatory laboratory test to detect the disease at an early stage. It helps to evaluate the physicochemical properties of urine. In most families, with the arrival of a new baby, it can be difficult to understand why the baby is crying. Children at this age are not yet able to explain what bothers them. In such a case, it is better to take a urine test and trust experienced specialists who, based on the results of the study, will give an accurate answer about the state of your baby’s health. Having a child is always a big responsibility, so you need to do everything to keep him healthy.

What does a urine test show?

The main indicators of this laboratory test include color, smell, glucose, ketone bodies, bilirubin, red blood cells, white blood cells, salt, various bacteria, fungi and parasites. A urine test may be ordered by your treating pediatrician in order to:

1. Identify the absence or presence of diseases such as nephritis, nephrosclerosis, amyloidosis, urolithiasis, tumor.
2. Rule out pyelonephritis, diseases of the bladder and prostate gland.

A urine test is recommended to diagnose the disease at an early stage. In this case, timely treatment will help to quickly overcome the disease.

What does a bad urine test mean in a child?

When a doctor notices any deviations from the norm, he is obliged to inform parents about this and prescribe additional laboratory tests, as well as a visit to specialists on this issue. What might warrant additional examination of your child?

A light yellow tint indicates a healthy urine color. However, if the urine is dark in color, this may mean toxic poisoning of the body, disease of the circulatory system and liver. Some foods or medications may turn the discharge red, but there is nothing to worry about. Blood in the urine indicates primary signs of pyelonephritis, urolithiasis and bladder cancer. A cloudy state of the contents of the bladder indicates inflammation of the kidneys. A healthy person will have clear urine.

The normal acidity level is considered to be 4-7 units. An elevated reading may indicate a decrease in potassium levels in the blood. If, on the contrary, the results show that acidity is reduced, this is only possible with chronic renal failure. An increased level of urine density indicates the development of pyelonephritis and glomerulonephritis. The presence of protein is considered normal if there is little of it. The presence of large amounts of these compounds can cause kidney disease, inflammation in the bladder, urethra and ureter.

The normal concentration of leukocytes in a healthy toddler is considered to be as follows:

• for girls - up to 6 units;
• for boys - up to three.

The content of leukocytes that goes beyond the normal limits only proves the presence of inflammatory processes such as tuberculosis, cystitis, bladder cancer or pyelonephritis. Diseases such as kidney infarction, urolithiasis, and kidney cancer are accompanied by an excessive concentration of red blood cells. The presence of ketone bodies in urine is also not considered a good sign.

When poor results are not a warning sign

Often, the low information content of the analysis results can be affected by non-compliance with all criteria for proper urine collection.

After all, it often happens that the baby is absolutely healthy, but the analysis shows the opposite. This can be evidenced by urine that has just been collected from the potty. Pharmacies sell special containers that can also be used to collect urine from an infant. Another option involves using a sterile saucer.

Urine should be collected immediately after the baby wakes up, and not after a certain period of time. Any physical activity and action activates the appearance of red and white blood cells, which is not a good indicator.

It is not recommended to change the child’s menu before collecting the analysis. Any change in diet the day before urine collection can lead to poor results. Excessive consumption of pastries, cakes, flour, pasta, potatoes and cookies will increase the sugar level in urine. A nursing mother needs to watch her diet. Intense physical activity will provoke the appearance of protein, which should not normally be present.

If an increased content of leukocytes is observed in a child’s urine, then you need to remember whether all the points of correct collection of the analysis were followed. The baby should be washed well, and the urine should be placed in a dry, well-sterilized container immediately after sleep. If all points are met, a negative indicator may be caused by diaper rash, metabolic disorders, or inflammation of the external genitalia. Your baby may be waiting a long time before having a bowel movement. This abstinence can lead to bacterial infection.

The inflammatory process can also be determined by the smell of the discharge. A natural smell is one that is not pronounced and harsh. A sign of infection will be the smell of acetone or feces.

You should not sound the alarm if the first analysis turns out to be bad. In such cases, you must first resubmit the material. If the result is confirmed, you need to do an ultrasound of the kidneys, take a biochemical urine test and go for a consultation with your local pediatrician. It is not recommended to resort to antibiotic treatment just like that. Antibacterial drugs have a strong effect on the infant’s still fragile body. It is recommended to take this test after each illness: ARVI, otitis media, tonsillitis, pneumonia, bronchitis, since infectious agents do not immediately leave the body. They can remain in the kidneys and cause recurrent disease after a certain time.

Always pay attention to your children's hygiene. This is one of the main factors. Change your underwear daily and keep your bed linen clean. Use only clean towels. Vary the diet with other healthy vegetables and fruits high in vitamins B and C. It is also important that your child drinks as much clean water as possible. It is also worth preventing the occurrence of constipation.

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How to collect material for analysis?

If, after a routine examination, the doctor has prescribed a urine test for your child, he will definitely tell you how to properly prepare for the test. If we are talking about a general analysis, there is nothing complicated in collecting urine. However, there are also narrower methods in which the collection of material occurs according to a certain system.

As a rule, urine collection for further research is carried out on an empty stomach. Therefore, parents should have time to collect the child’s urine early in the morning.

For many, collecting fluid is extremely difficult, especially for girls, but there are several effective techniques that can significantly reduce the difficulties in carrying out this process. Some parents use a trick and simply squeeze out the diaper after the baby goes to the toilet. This is the most unfortunate method, since there can be no question of sterility here, so there will be serious errors in the analysis results.

If the child is already using the potty, this simplifies the task of collecting material for further research. But you need to keep in mind that not every container is suitable for this procedure. If you have a metal pot at home, you need to boil it and then use it to collect urine. You should immediately discard plastic, since it will not be possible to make it sterile due to the lack of the possibility of boiling.

If you wash the container with detergents, their particles will certainly end up in the liquid, and this will affect the test results. Moreover, if the plastic itself is not of a high level of quality, its molecules can penetrate into urine. This will make it difficult to make a correct diagnosis.

The best way is to use a special sterile urine collection bag. But it is not always possible to purchase it, since not every pharmacy sells such devices. As a last resort, parents can take a regular sterile container and guess the moment when the baby decides to empty the bladder. This is not the most convenient method, but it is effective, as it allows you to get the cleanest possible liquid and correct laboratory results.

Causes of a poor urine test in a child

Content

A poor urine test in a child may indicate health problems. All babies undergo this test at almost every visit to the pediatrician. This is a mandatory procedure, since a general analysis of urine and blood shows the functioning of the children’s body. If deviations from the norm are detected, a specialist can diagnose certain diseases that require immediate treatment.

What is a laboratory test?

Children are often prescribed a general urine test, which can show the functioning of the urinary system. In addition, the results show how internal organs and other body systems work.

If a child has poor urine tests, the specialist may prescribe other types of laboratory tests:

1. The Nechiporenko analysis is prescribed if there are suspicions of inflammatory processes in the kidneys and bladder.
2. The Kakovsky-Addis study is prescribed for suspected pathologies of the kidneys and urinary tract.
3. If necessary, a Sulkovich test may be prescribed.
4. The functioning of the pancreas is assessed using alpha-amylase.
5. The Zimnitsky test will help to identify malfunctions in the kidneys.

Any laboratory test is carried out in the morning. Urine collection is usually carried out at home.

In order not to get false results, you need to purchase a special sterile container at the pharmacy, wash the child well and fill the container with biomaterial; if necessary, the urine can first be collected in a pot, which will be washed well, and then poured into the container and taken to the clinic.

Significance of laboratory test results

The reasons for changes in analysis results are usually hidden in various diseases. The development of a pathological process can be indicated not only by the characteristics of urine, but also by its appearance. After deviations in the analysis results are detected, the specialist should order additional studies: they will help establish the exact reasons for such changes. Urine readings may indicate the following health problems:

• In a healthy person, the color of the discharge should be transparent or light yellow and practically odorless. Various changes in color indicate problems in the functioning of internal organs. If darkening is observed, then the problem lies in the liver. Urine often turns red when eating colored foods, such as beets. Cloudy urine indicates the presence of flakes, which can form from an inflammatory process in the kidneys;
• The acidity rate ranges from 4-7. This indicator may be increased or decreased. The reasons may lie in kidney problems or a lack of potassium in the body;
• The density of urine tells about the general condition of the human body. If the density is increased, then we can talk about dehydration;
• the presence of protein in the urine indicates inflammation;
• the presence of red blood cells may indicate cancer and decreased immunity.

As soon as the specialist discovers a number of abnormalities, he will prescribe an additional examination in order to establish the exact cause of changes in the urine, as well as to make a diagnosis and develop treatment.

The test may need to be repeated as the results may be false due to improper urine collection.

What to do in case of a bad analysis and how to prevent it

To prevent false test results, it is necessary to take care of its correct delivery.

To correctly submit biomaterial, you need to use simple rules, which are as follows:

1. Urine should be collected strictly in the morning on the day of delivery to the clinic.
2. Before collecting urine, it is necessary to rinse the genitals well and dry them with a towel.
3. For older girls, it is necessary to cover the vagina with a cotton swab during the procedure so that vaginal secretions do not get into the urine, as it can show increased protein.
4. Before collecting urine, you should release a small portion into the toilet, and then collect a small amount in a special container.

Collecting urine from babies allows for the transfusion of biomaterial from the pot, if it is washed well. In newborns, urine is collected using a special container, which is attached to the child for a while.

If the results of the study are bad, then do not panic. First, the doctor will require you to repeat the procedure, as it is possible to obtain false results.

If the repeated examination again turns out to be bad, then a full examination of the baby’s body will follow, which includes a biochemical analysis of urine and blood, ultrasound, and a visit to specialists. If abnormalities in the body's functioning are detected, it is important to begin treatment in a timely manner.

You cannot interpret the test results yourself; only a doctor can do this.

Sometimes minor deviations from the norm are not an indicator of problems with the kidneys and urinary system.

It is enough to adjust the child’s lifestyle and nutrition to return the results to normal limits.

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The child's first tests.

When and what kind of research is done for children?
Tests for a child up to a month to a year old Why should a child take tests? Do newborn tests mean something is wrong? Why do they take a general blood test from a newborn? What tests and why does your baby need to undergo? Is there a need for them and how and when should the child be tested for the first time?

FIRST TESTS OF A CHILD: WHAT, HOW, WHY?

An integral part of a medical examination is laboratory diagnostics. The reasons why tests are prescribed for children are varied: clarifying the diagnosis, collecting information about the general state of health, preventing infectious diseases in children. Firstly, preventing a disease is always easier than treating it later. Secondly, the treatment of many diseases directly depends on the timeliness of diagnosis. And the reliability of the results of research tests depends largely on the parents’ ability to correctly collect the material. Therefore, let's find out what tests the baby needs to be carried out and when, and how to do it correctly?

FIRST TESTS OF A CHILD IN THE MATERNITY HOSPITAL

The first tests of newborns are taken in the delivery room, literally in the first seconds of life. Using a drop of blood taken from the umbilical cord, doctors determine the baby's blood type. On the 3-4th birthday, a blood test is performed in the maternity hospital from the heel, the so-called neonatal screening, which allows you to identify hereditary, congenital diseases such as hypothyroidism (decreased thyroid function in the child’s body) and phenylketonuria (metabolic disorder). Blood taken from the baby is applied to a special test form, which is subsequently sent to the laboratory for testing. The child in the maternity hospital is informed about the results of such an analysis only if a disease marker is detected in the blood within 1 month. Just in case, all babies born to mothers with negative Rh factor blood are tested at birth in the maternity hospital from the umbilical cord, in order to prevent hemolytic disease of newborns and other diseases. Sometimes you have to take a blood test in the maternity hospital from a finger or even from a vein, but this is only if necessary. The reason for this is jaundice of newborns. In this way, specialists determine with great accuracy exactly what form of the disease the child has. Normal, that is, physiological jaundice is a fairly common phenomenon, generally not threatening the child in any way. If a newborn’s jaundice turns out to be pronounced and causes serious concern among doctors, then the child has to be tested in the maternity hospital, taking blood from a vein. Such tests of newborns make it possible to determine the content and form of bilirubin in the blood and understand how dangerous the current situation really is.

ANALYSIS OF A CHILD AT 1 MONTH

If newborn tests for hypothyroidism and phenylketonuria, done in the maternity hospital, give a positive result, after discharge from the maternity hospital you will be informed of the need to undergo additional examinations, tests of the child at 1 month, and, if necessary, appropriate treatment. Since the screening test is still an indicative analysis, then, after receiving information about the positive test results, the pediatrician prescribes a more in-depth examination of the baby with suspected hypothyroidism, in particular: consultation with an endocrinologist, additional studies of absolutely all thyroid hormones, x-ray examination thyroid gland, ultrasound of the thyroid gland. If a baby is suspected of having phenylketonuria, after discharge from the hospital, additional special tests are performed on newborns, which include more accurate methods for identifying and determining the amount of the amino acid phenylalanine and its derivatives. To do this, they conduct research by doing blood tests and urine tests on the child.

ANALYSIS OF A CHILD UNDER 1 YEAR OF AGE AND ANALYSIS OF A CHILD AT 1 YEAR OF AGE

If the baby’s health condition does not cause any concern either to the mother or to the doctor who provides patronage, then the following tests for newborns are prescribed only at 3 months, before preventive vaccinations, for which a general blood and urine test is taken from the newborn.

Why do they take a general blood test from a newborn?

Such tests of children are necessary to monitor their health status, not to miss the development of the disease and contraindications to vaccination. A general blood test is taken from the newborn's ring finger. To do this, wipe the outer phalanx with a cotton swab soaked in alcohol and puncture the skin with a disposable scarifier. The results of the analysis will allow you to evaluate the level of hemoglobin, leukocytes, red blood cells and other blood factors. You should not be alarmed when you find that the indicators differ from the “norm” indicated on the standard form. The fact is that the composition of the blood of a newborn baby is qualitatively different from the composition of the blood of an infant, and that, in turn, is different from the blood of older children.

Clinical tests of a child's urine

General urine tests of a child are examined using morning urine collected in a clean, dry container with a lid. To carry out the analysis, a minimum amount of 15-25 ml of morning urine will be required. The delivery time for research material is no longer than 1.5 hours. If urine is stored for a long time, the formed elements decompose, it becomes cloudy and the reaction changes and, therefore, the results are distorted and cannot be considered reliable. The need to undergo this “routine” urine test for a child confuses many parents. Especially parents of little girls. Because collecting material from an infant who is not yet familiar with the potty is not so easy. It is doubly difficult not to miss the first morning urine.

Remember a few important rules and strictly follow them:

1. There is no need to put off collecting tests until “tomorrow,” especially to continue in this spirit for several more weeks in a row.

2. Do not ignore your baby’s diet 2-3 days before testing.