How to collect urine from a baby boy

The birth of a child in most families is a joyful and long-awaited event. Every mother does not want her beloved baby to get sick and feel unwell. Daily hygienic care, proper nutrition, ensuring the necessary thermal conditions - all this helps the child grow healthy and strong. But, unfortunately, sometimes the baby begins to get sick, and parents do not always notice the inflammatory process. The urine of an infant can immediately answer many questions related to the child’s well-being and health. Therefore, during the examination, which takes place 3 months after the birth of the baby, the pediatrician prescribes a urine test.

What should you look for in child urine test results?

Currently, more and more commercial medical institutions are appearing that have their own laboratories. Many parents turn to them to do a urine test on their infant. After this, they receive a sheet containing the results. Sometimes the data obtained is accompanied by standards, sometimes not. It is worth noting that the norms are usually indicated for an adult, so at first it may seem that the tests are bad. Parents should understand the regulations for infants so as not to panic in advance.

The main indicators that you should focus on are various cells, cylinders, epithelium, mucus and salt crystals.

Quite often, the results of a urine test contain some salt content, which should not cause much panic. Salt crystals in the urine of an infant are often detected when examining urinary sediment. The release of salts depends on the child’s activity and dietary habits. In newborns, an increase in some varieties of these crystals (urates and ammonium urate) is normal.

Even a small number of leukocytes in the urine of an infant is already dangerous, as it can be caused by diseases of the kidneys and urinary system. Young mothers need to remember that a diagnosis cannot be made based on one positive test; the child is sent for a second test. The next time urine is collected, the child should be washed thoroughly to eliminate the possibility of incorrect results. Doctors name several circumstances that can cause the appearance of white blood cells in an infant. This or that type of leukocyte is responsible for different diseases:

lymphocytes signal connective tissue diseases. eosinophils may be a sign of chronic pyelonephritis. neutrophils provoke various bacterial infections.

If your child is still confirmed to have leukocytes in his urine, do not despair. Typically, early-stage urinary tract and bladder infections are treated with short-term antibiotics. Of course, such medications are not advisable for use by young children, but still some medications do not have age-related contraindications. After the course of treatment, the procedure for donating urine must be repeated. This is because some bacteria have persistent resistance to antibiotics. The most famous and accurate is the Nechiporenko urine test.

Urine collection

The reliability of the test results depends on the correct collection of urine from an infant. New parents may think that they may have difficulties, but this is not at all the case. The main requirement is that urine should be taken in the morning and after hygiene procedures.

urine collection in infants

How to collect urine from an infant: Be sure to use a clean container; delivery time to the medical laboratory is within three hours. Now all that remains is to wait for the results. Although you yourself can be the first to evaluate urine by its physical properties: color, transparency and smell.

Cloudy urine in an infant

In infants, cloudiness of the urinary fluid is mainly due to the high content of salts in it, and most often this is not a disease, but a sign that the diet is not in order.

In addition, in newborns such a violation of the composition and color of the liquid is not a pathology

: This is a normal process, since the increased content of ammonium urate crystals and urates is explained by tissue development processes.

In the case of infants, a change in the color of urine can be an alarming signal, since if the cause is an increased content of leukocytes, we can talk about diseases of the urinary system and kidneys.

In most cases, if such diseases are diagnosed in a timely manner, they can be easily treated with antibiotics.

Although most of these are not used to treat newborns, mild antibiotics

, which have minimal harmful effects on the child’s body.

The problem is that many types of pathogenic microorganisms develop resistance to such drugs or show it initially, so at the end of the course of treatment it is necessary to re-test the urine and, if necessary, repeat the treatment according to the same regimen or change the antibiotic.

How to independently evaluate children's urine based on its physical properties

In laboratory results of urine analysis, in addition to quantitative indicators, there are items describing its physical characteristics. However, you can evaluate your child’s health independently by observing the number of urinations per day, the color, and smell of urine. To do this, we present normal indicators for children.

Urine color

The color of urine depends on the age of the child and the nature of his diet. The older a person gets, the more saturated the shade it becomes. In addition, eating certain foods, as well as taking certain medications, can cause urine to become stained. Therefore, if your baby is breastfed, avoid previously unused foods. We remind you that the most famous dyes are beets, carrots, and citrus fruits.

Normally, the color of urine in an infant is usually very light, almost white. As it matures, it changes to straw yellow. If an infant's urine has a dark brown tint, it means it has a high content of bilirubin. This is common, as young children often suffer from jaundice at birth. You should consult a doctor if your baby's urine begins to differ from its usual color.

The dark yellow color is due to an increased concentration of bile pigments. Red urine occurs with a heart attack or kidney injury due to the release of a high concentration of red blood cells. Orange color indicates uraturia (high salt content). All shades of green urine can be caused by obstructive jaundice.

Cloudy urine

The transparency of urine is no less important than its color. In laboratory tests it is assessed as complete or incomplete. Within two hours after collection, the urine is clear and only then a cloudy cloud begins to form in it. If you see that your child's urine is opaque, do not rush to get it tested. Make sure the collection container is washed thoroughly, then perform repeated hygiene procedures on your child. If the urine remains cloudy during the next collection, then a laboratory report and the necessary treatment are required.

Cloudy urine in an infant occurs for a number of reasons: the presence of mucus, leukocytes, salts or drops of fat.

There is a simple household way to test urine to determine which substances caused it to become cloudy. The urine should be collected in a clean jar, placed in a pan filled with water, then heated slightly. Now you can evaluate the result:

The amount and nature of the turbidity has not changed - an inflammatory process in the body is possible. The urine has become more transparent - there is a high content of oxalate salts. The amount of turbidity has increased - the presence of phosphate salts in the urine.

If you get the first result, you need to take a urine test and consult a doctor. The last two are not cause for concern. If the color and transparency of urine is assessed visually, another indicator is through the sense of smell.

Urine smell

The smell of baby urine can also help identify the inflammatory process at the initial stage. Children's urine needs to be monitored daily, because an infant, due to his age, cannot express in words that something is bothering him.

The normal smell of urine in an infant is mild and changes in accordance with the food taken. In bottle-fed children, it has a greater concentration.

If your child’s urine has acquired the smell of acetone or feces, this may be a sign of some kind of infection; you should immediately contact your pediatrician.

Daily monitoring of the urine of a small child allows you to notice in time the appearance of symptoms of various infections and diseases. This is very important, since a very narrow list of medications is provided for infants. Treatment in the early stages will avoid taking strong antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs.

If an infant has bad urine, you should consult a doctor to prescribe treatment after determining the diagnosis.

Changes in the color of urine can tell a lot about many things, for example, about the baby’s diet, the medications the baby takes, or various diseases. But what should you do if your child’s urine suddenly becomes discolored and looks like water? Is this dangerous and is it a sign of illness?

What color should be normal?

The color of urine is influenced by the content of pigments called urochromes. The color of urine in healthy babies is yellow, and the color intensity can range from a very light yellow shade to a very rich one. The more pigments in a child’s urine, the more intense the color of the liquid. At the same time, in the morning, the baby’s urine will be darker, as it concentrates during night sleep.

Urine in children should normally be yellow. Possible causes

The appearance of discolored urine in a child can be caused by:

Drinking plenty of fluids, as well as foods that contain a lot of water (for example, watermelon). The kidneys have to excrete the resulting fluid in larger quantities, which causes the urine to become clear. Diabetes insipidus. One of its symptoms is increased thirst, and since water enters the body in excess, it is excreted in greater quantities, and there are fewer pigments in the urine. Diabetes mellitus. This disease is also characterized by constant thirst, and the kidneys try to help eliminate glucose, so they work more actively. Kidney failure. As a result of the disease, kidney function is impaired, so the fluid needed by the body is not absorbed back into the kidneys, which threatens dehydration. The use of diuretics. Urine leaves the bladder faster than it is saturated with pigments. If you are sure that the clearing of urine is not associated with high fluid intake, you should consult a doctor. When should you see a doctor?

If the child’s urine has become very pale, almost transparent, like water, and the volume of urine excreted has increased, the child should definitely be shown to a specialist.

It should be noted that for an infant’s urine, a pale color is normal, because in the first months after birth, kidney function is just developing, and the baby receives only mother’s milk or formula for food.

If your child produces yellow urine, and then it suddenly turns lighter, you should take your baby to the pediatrician. The doctor will refer the baby for clinical blood and urine tests, and, if necessary, for other studies, as well as an examination by a nephrologist or endocrinologist.

Why is a child's urine dark?

The body of a child, especially a baby, due to the imperfection of most organs and systems, reacts very sensitively to any influences, so every mother closely monitors all the changes that occur with her baby.

Often parents consult a pediatrician whose main complaint is a sudden change in the color of their baby’s urine. In order for the doctor to answer the question of why this happened, first of all he will ask a series of clarifying questions, and only then begin the necessary examination.

Causes of dark urine in a child

Natural factors

A child’s body does not form immediately; in order for its organs and systems to function fully, their gradual development is required. This is why the doses of drugs in children and adults differ, because “adult” dosages are extremely toxic for them. Also, the baby’s body is more sensitive to fluid loss, high temperatures, etc.

When a child's urine becomes dark or any other shade, it is necessary to exclude the following causes.

The baby's use of medications, the instructions of which indicate that the color of the urinary sediment may change. This is absolutely safe, because after completely stopping the course of treatment with these medications, the symptom goes away completely. Among such drugs, it is worth highlighting vitamin complexes, a number of antibacterial (for example, Metronidazole) and antimicrobial agents (from the nitrofuran group).

Prolonged exposure of the child to the sun on hot summer days, active games, as a result of which he actively loses fluid through sweat. If the volume of liquid drunk is insufficient, the child’s body will become dehydrated, which explains the subsequent bright color of the urine.

Drink small amounts of water throughout the day. As a rule, many children drink little water; this only happens when they are very thirsty. Every mother should monitor how much her child drinks and secretes fluids per day. If he very rarely asks to go potty, then you should more often give him a variety of fruit drinks, compotes, and regular drinking water to drink.

Adding foods such as rhubarb, carrots, beets, blackberries, blueberries, bird cherry and others to the diet can directly affect the color of urinary sediment, since they contain natural dyes that color not only urine, but also feces. If a child drinks carbonated water with artificial coloring substances, then if the color of the urine changes, do not be alarmed - this is a variant of the norm.

When complete normalization and correction of the above-described causes occurs, urine very quickly acquires its natural color.

Pathological causes

Different variations in the color of urine may indicate a certain group of diseases, which helps the doctor to suspect a particular pathological condition at the early stages of diagnosis.

Bright yellow urine sediment is a manifestation of the following conditions:

• dehydration of the body due to repeated vomiting or diarrhea (with infectious diseases of various etiologies);
• burn intoxication of the body;
• moderate or severe toxicosis of a pregnant woman;
• severe fever.

High temperature reaction numbers cause rapid dehydration of the child’s body, so it is necessary to ensure a sufficient supply of fluid from the outside (drink plenty of fluids).

Brown urine appears with the following serious diseases:

• hemolytic anemia;
• urolithiasis disease;
• cholelithiasis;
• acute form of glomerulonephritis;
• viral hepatitis;
• toxic damage to liver cells (for example, mercury or copper vapor).

Black urine may indicate a disease such as alkaptonuria.
It refers to genetic congenital processes. Its main signs are pigmentary changes in the skin, weakness of the musculoskeletal system, multiple kidney stones and rapid darkening of urine upon contact with air. The folk way to cleanse the kidneys! Our grandmothers were treated using this recipe...

Cleaning your kidneys is easy! You need to add it during meals...

One should not exclude a condition such as melanosarcoma, which is characterized by the release of a special pigment substance, melanin, in urine.

A red tint to the urinary sediment or the appearance of visible traces of blood or blood clots in it is observed in such pathological processes as:

• movement of stone along the urethral tract (UCD);
• severe forms of pyelonephritis or glomerulonephritis;
• tumor processes in the kidneys or bladder.

Urine becomes cloudy when it contains a large number of leukocytes, proteins, casts or squamous epithelial cells. This occurs with the following diseases of the genitourinary system:

• acute cystitis;
• acute pyelonephritis or glomerulonephritis;
• acute urethritis.

Symptoms to watch out for

Not all parents can pay attention to the fact that their child’s urine has acquired a different color, but there are a number of complaints that will definitely become a cause for concern:

• during the act of urination, the baby becomes capricious and cries;
• there are complaints of pain in different parts of the abdomen (right hypochondrium, in the projection of the kidneys or bladder), sometimes the pain is very severe, it makes the child moan and rush about in bed (with renal or hepatic colic);
• the child begins to complain of a constant desire to urinate, however, if he goes to the toilet, very little urine is released;
• the baby's appetite decreases, the baby refuses to latch on to the breast;
• urine not only takes on a different color, but also an unpleasant odor, sometimes blood clots are visible to the naked eye;
• the temperature rises, the child’s mood changes, he becomes lethargic and apathetic;
• The color of the child’s skin and mucous membranes changes, they acquire a jaundiced tint;
• stool becomes discolored or less dark.

Diagnostic principles

During the examination of the child, the doctor pays due attention to objective research, through which one can judge the presence or absence of other pathological symptoms. Deep palpation of the abdominal and pelvic organs is mandatory and the source of pain is determined.

If, apart from changes in the color of urine, the child has no other complaints and is active, then the examination is limited to taking general urine and blood tests. If deviations are found in them, the range of diagnostic procedures will be expanded.

Urine analysis according to Nechiporenko and Zimnitsky’s test will help to study the urinary composition, its concentration, and the presence of pathological impurities.

Be sure to prescribe a biochemical blood test, determine the level of urea, creatinine and other indicators (if necessary).

The resulting urine is sent to the laboratory for further culture and determination of the type of pathogenic pathogen. They also find out the range of antibacterial drugs to which the infectious agent is sensitive.

Instrumental research:

• Ultrasound of the liver, pancreas, kidneys, bladder and others (depending on the underlying cause of the process);
• CT or MRI of the necessary structures.

Treatment

If we are talking about dark urine, the cause of which is violations in the drinking regime, it is necessary to ensure that the child drinks enough water during the day, regardless of his level of physical activity. At the same time, parents should also control how much liquid he secretes.

It is recommended to exclude foods and drinks with artificial colors from the diet, because they not only affect the color of urinary sediment, but are also not very beneficial for the body.

Treatment of inflammatory processes in the bladder or kidneys comes down to the prescription of antibacterial agents that are active against the infectious agent.

Viral hepatitis can be treated with antiviral drugs and hepatoprotectors that improve the functioning of liver cells.

Stones in the gall bladder and in the organs of the urinary system are dissolved by prescribing special medications and diet. If therapy is ineffective, then the issue of surgical intervention is decided.

Conclusion

Don't panic if your baby's urine turns dark yellow or takes on a different shade. This condition does not always indicate the onset of the disease, especially if the child behaves as usual and does not complain about anything. In order to completely exclude the presence of pathological abnormalities, it is necessary to undergo tests in the near future at the clinic at the place of residence.

Analyzes: normal indicators

A routine urine test of an infant is carried out at three months, but if pathology is suspected, this can be done earlier.

For the first time, the pediatrician will order urine collection for a general analysis when the baby is 3 months old, then at 9 months. After the laboratory test, parents receive the results in their hands. If the child is healthy, then based on its physical and chemical properties, the sample should not contain:

• glucose;
• protein;
• ketone bodies;
• bilirubin;
• bile acid;
• urobilin bodies.

Urine must be collected 1-1.5 hours before delivery to the laboratory, otherwise the result will be unreliable.

The reference color of urine in infants and in older children is light yellow; colorless in small children is also the norm. Microscopic studies show the following content in children's urine:

• red blood cells;
• cylinders;
• fibrin;
• elastic fibers;
• salts;
• bacteria.

Normally, urine contains from 6 to 8 leukocytes, single cells of mucus, squamous, transitional, and renal epithelium. Based on the results, the pediatrician determines the cause of the atypical color of urine and prescribes treatment, taking into account the age indicators and the individual characteristics of the baby. If the patient has elevated protein levels, then he has proteinuria. And with a large amount of salts in a child’s body, the following are possible: intoxication, fever, ulcerative colitis, leukemia, etc. An increased level of leukocytes in urine indicates problems with the kidneys, genitourinary system, or a bacterial infection. To clarify the diagnosis, the doctor will prescribe a Nechiporenko test. Using this study, you can accurately determine the number of red blood cells, white blood cells and casts in children's urine.

General urine test in children

All parents have to undergo a general urine test in their children. This procedure is carried out when a disease is suspected, to identify complications after an illness, and also for prevention. Therefore, it is advisable to know what urine test is normal in children. The main indicators that are revealed during a general urine test:

• Color. Normally, urine should be light yellow, dark urine may indicate liver disease or toxic damage to the body, and cloudy color may indicate an inflammatory process in the kidneys. A reddish color occurs when taking certain medications.
• Transparency. In a healthy child, the urine is transparent, its cloudiness, the presence of sediment or flakes indicate inflammatory processes in the genitourinary system.
• Acidity level. Normally, urine should be slightly acidic (pH 5-7); if the analysis reveals a neutral or predominant alkaline environment, this may indicate inflammatory processes in the urinary tract.
• Density. Normal indicators are considered to be 1001-1005 g/l for newborns, 1005-1015 g/l at six months, reaching adult levels of 1018-1025 g/l when switching to mixed feeding. If they are elevated, the body is dehydrated and there is a lot of sugar in the blood. But low density indicates renal failure.
• Protein. For normal indicators, its presence is considered to be 0.033%. Exceeding the norm indicates inflammatory processes and infection of the body.
• Red blood cells. Normally, they should be absent or present in very small quantities (no more than 3 in the field of view), urine analysis during teething should also not record them more than normal. Elevated levels may indicate decreased immunity, kidney disease or oncology.
• Leukocytes. Normally they are not detected or are detected in rather small quantities (no more than 2-3 in the field of view). In large quantities they serve as an indicator of cystitis and kidney disease.

Thus, the interpretation of a clinical urine test may indicate a dysfunction in the child’s body. If its general indicators are normal, and only an increased number of red and white blood cells is present, an analysis is prescribed using the Nechiporenko method.

What color is considered normal?

The coloring of urine is affected by the foods the child eats, medications taken, and what the mother eats.

Each age has its own urine color. At first, the newborn's urine is clear. Starting from the 2nd week of life, newborns become brick-colored. This is explained by the fact that from the 7th day the children's genitourinary system actively develops. This transformation with the baby’s urine does not last long. Over time, the normal indicator is yellowish (straw) urine. However, if the baby or mother (applies to breastfeeding) ate beets, the masses will darken to a pale purple color, and when she eats a lot of carrots, to light orange. When these foods are limited, the urine turns yellow again. These facts are not aberrations. The following colors of baby urine are considered abnormal:

• saturated: yellow, orange;
• dark: brown, green;
• bright: pink, red;
• pale: transparent, white.

What is the smell and color?

A newborn's urine is usually light or dark yellow. The color depends on the amount of urobilin (urochrome), a substance that gives urine a yellow color. The smell should not be sharp or specific.

Many mothers begin to worry when their baby's urine turns brick yellow and leaves dark spots on diapers. No need to worry! This is the so-called “uric acid infarction” - a transitional state of the newborn. After 2-3 days, this condition passes, and the urine becomes light and transparent again.

Why is colorless urine dangerous?

The main purpose of urine is to remove toxins from the body; they are not colorless. If a baby's urine is clear, it means that the kidneys are not doing their job, and pathological processes in the body are possible.

Important! In a child's first months of life, very light-colored urine may be normal. However, if earlier the urine was of a more intense color, and then became transparent, and this persists for 2-3 weeks, you should consult a doctor.

Doctor Komarovsky's opinion

Pediatric doctor E. Komarovsky speaks about the importance of color urine analysis to determine the child’s health indicators. However, only guided by its data, one cannot draw a conclusion about the presence or absence of diseases in the baby.

So, if colorless urine can be a sign of diabetes mellitus, then only a diagnostic examination in a medical institution can finally confirm the disease.

The specialist advises parents not to worry in vain, since almost colorless urine can be a variant of the norm, and, for example, cloudy urine in a baby’s potty does not indicate any pathologies, because it can lose transparency from contact with air. If the pot is kept in a cool room for a long time, then the urine in it, in addition to becoming cloudy, will produce sediment. Salts that are dissolved in warm urine will form solid compounds when exposed to low temperatures.

The doctor says that the smell of colorless urine can also be an indirect sign of diabetes. It will be sweetish, reminiscent of a fruity aroma. But the urine of a baby who took vitamins the day before has the same smell.

Causes of poor urine analysis in children

Indicators of a poor urine test in a child indicate the presence of serious inflammatory or infectious diseases.

However, there may be other reasons:

1. non-sterile container for collecting material;
2. ingress of feces together with urine;
3. drinking plenty of fluids on the eve of tests, which affects density indicators;
4. eating brightly colored vegetables and fruits, which affects the color of urine;
5. intake of medications or herbal preparations;
6. insufficiently thorough morning toilet;
7. pouring urine from one container to another;
8. collecting urine in a pot;
9. extracting urine from a diaper, cotton wool or diaper;
10. leaving the container in a warm room for too long.

Preventive measures

If the reasons for the loss of color in your baby’s urine are physiological and associated with excess hydration, then he just needs to drink a little less water or eat juicy fruits. Everything will return to normal within a couple of days.

Preventive measures to prevent urine discoloration, if associated with pathologies, correspond to measures to prevent these diseases:

1. To reduce the risk of developing diabetes in infants, nursing mothers are advised to eat as little sugar as possible, and formula-fed infants are advised to choose unsweetened infant formula;
2. In order to prevent the occurrence of infectious diseases of the urinary tract and kidneys, it is necessary to monitor the temperature, not allowing children to become hypothermic;
3. Encourage the child's mobility, do physical exercises with him, including taking baths on time. Massage has a beneficial effect on the baby's health;

Physical exercises with babies

1. It is necessary to keep the baby clean and dry at all times;
2. It is better to wash the baby’s intimate parts with water, blotting with a clean cotton cloth. In girls, washing should be done from front to back to prevent microorganisms from entering the anal area into the genital area.

Important! The use of wet wipes should be avoided. This increases the likelihood of developing a urinary infection.

Changes in the color of urine in most cases are a harmless consequence of the use of certain foods or medications, and its discoloration is caused by drinking large amounts of liquid. However, sometimes this can indicate the development of diseases, so it is important to consult a doctor promptly if you have alarming symptoms.

Preventive recommendations

It is possible to prevent changes in urine color if certain rules are followed:

• watch your drinking regime. A healthy person is recommended to drink at least two liters of clean water per day. Intense sports, high air temperatures require adjustment of this dose (increase the amount of water by half a liter);
• Treat diseases of the genitourinary system in a timely manner. Most cases of changes in urine color are based on the background of pathologies in this area;
• During pregnancy, take only those medications prescribed by your doctor. Self-medication can lead to unwanted side effects (non-specific color of urine);
• Before eating brightly colored foods, be prepared for the possibility that your urine may change color. Don’t be alarmed in this situation; increase the amount of fluid per day, which will help quickly remove the “coloring” components of a drink or dish.

Find out more about what the color of urine means after watching the following video:

Normal urine color

The color of a newborn's urine should be monitored regularly. Formula-fed babies deserve special attention. In the first days after birth, babies' discharge may be reddish or orange and contain uric acid crystals. This is considered normal.

After a week, as the baby absorbs more and more milk, the urine becomes light yellow and has almost no odor. It remains this way until about 6 months, the time of introduction of the first complementary foods. Then it can change color depending on the foods eaten, and after a year, when the child eats a variety of and mostly solid foods, the urine acquires more saturated yellow shades, almost like that of an adult.

Normal urine color

Important! Consultation with a doctor is necessary when the baby still has a reddish tint to the urine after the fifth day of life, and urination is very rare.

The release of small amounts of dark yellow fluid in a baby in the first months of life may be a sign of malnutrition and the initial phase of dehydration.

How much is enough

During the first year of his life, the baby develops rapidly - at about this age he begins to sit and crawl, and also takes his first steps.

Collecting material for research from a child who is not yet six months old is a real science, because he is almost constantly in a diaper. To understand how many ml of urine is needed to test a baby, you must first figure out what type of test was assigned to you.

Doctors can prescribe for children:

• General analysis. It is done for preventive examinations, enrollment in a school, kindergarten or university, or suspicion of illness;
• According to Nechiporenko. It is prescribed when the doctor doubts the results shown by the general study. In this case, the composition of urine is considered more carefully, especially paying attention to the number of leukocytes, red blood cells and casts, which may indicate the presence of an inflammatory process;
• According to Zimnitsky, urine is collected hourly and changes in its composition are monitored;
• Daily analysis.

Depending on the type of study, the required material size may vary. If the last two varieties require strict adherence to the schedule - as, for example, according to Zimnitsky - and with them everything is approximately clear, then with the first two it is more difficult.

As practice shows, doctors usually take for examination a container filled with about 1 cm of urine. If we talk about ml, then 10 is usually enough. For Nechiporenko they can accept even less. Some mothers think that this is very small, but in fact, almost all laboratories accept this size. Doctors also know that collecting material from a baby who is only 1 or 2 months old is not easy.

If you are still in doubt about how much urine a baby needs to test, you can consult with. He will tell you the exact number.

Colorless urine and its causes

Urine is a biological fluid of the body that removes metabolic products. An important characteristic of urine in adults and children is its color.

Thanks to pigments and substances contained in urine, it can be of different colors. The urine of an adult is more intensely colored compared to the urine of infants or newborns, in whom it is practically colorless and odorless. The color of urine is so important that by its shade one can determine whether a person is healthy or sick, moreover, one can even guess what disease he is suffering from.

The color of strong tea may indicate painful processes in the liver or gall bladder. With a reddish tint, we can talk about an inflammatory process in the kidneys. If you have sandy sediment, you should think about the tendency to form kidney stones. If you have clear, colorless urine, there is no need to worry unless it is a permanent sign. Flaky and cloudy - this is a sign of inflammation of the urinary tract.

If there are any changes in the color of urine (colorless urine, brown or red), you should immediately seek help from a specialist. But do not forget that changes in the color of urine can be caused by certain foods, medications and vitamins. Foods such as beets (pink), carrots (orange), and rhubarb (greenish) can color urine. Vitamin B12 also gives urine an orange tint, aspirin makes it pink, but some antibacterial drugs give it a brownish-red color.

When urine changes color to brown, dark yellow and others, any mother understands that her child needs urgent medical attention, but for some reason colorless urine raises many doubts. Should I go to the pediatrician? Why is urine colorless? Let's find answers to these questions.

Drinking and more

The most obvious and harmless explanation for the fact of colorless urine is drinking plenty of fluids. For example, when the baby is hot and drinks a lot. The bladder quickly fills with fluid, and it does not have time to become saturated with pigments - hence the lack of color. Urine will return to its clear, straw-colored color as soon as your drinking regime returns to normal.

Reasons for concern

You should be wary and consult a doctor if your child’s colorless urine persists for a long time. The reasons can be very different, and it is enough to name a few to understand the seriousness of the consequences of constantly colorless urine.

For example, colorless urine can be an indirect sign of diabetes mellitus and diabetes insipidus. Diabetes insipidus is a fairly rare diagnosis, which is characterized by drinking a lot of water and excreting a large amount of urine. It is clear that any diabetes requires long-term and high-quality treatment. Another reason is the initial stage of renal failure - the inability of the kidneys to maintain homeostasis (constancy) in the body - and this disease requires immediate medical intervention.

There is no way to prevent colorless urine, but it is important to understand that everything in the body is interconnected. Therefore, simple rules, such as not allowing the child to become hypothermic, thoroughly washing the baby’s dishes and toys, and regularly visiting the pediatrician, will help the mother preserve the health of her children for many years. Let your baby grow and not get sick!

What does bad smell mean?

The smell of urine, like darkening, depends on the products consumed (more details in the article: what determines the smell of urine in a child?). The smell of urine is affected by:

The unpleasant pungent odor of urine in children with dark urine indicates the content of acetone in it. It may appear when:

• infectious or inflammatory process in the kidneys and bladder;
• liver diseases;
• lesions of the reproductive system;
• constipation;
• intoxication;
• gastritis;
• changing food products;
• hypothermia;
• physical activity.

Colorless urine: normal or a cause for concern?

Important! Elena Malysheva: An accessible and inexpensive way to get rid of urological sores.

Urine is a biological fluid of the body that is responsible for the removal of metabolic products. Color is a characteristic of urine that informs about the state of health, since urine contains pigments and substances that affect the degree of coloring of the natural fluid of the human body. A change in color may be a sign of inflammation or another painful condition in the body.

The shade varies depending on the following characteristics:

volume; the presence of coloring components entering the body along with food; density.

The urine of an adult is more colored than that of a child.

The color of the urine of a healthy person who drinks enough water is light yellow. In what cases is a change in the color of urine normal, and when should you consult a doctor if it is completely discolored?

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When does urine color change?

Various factors affect urine as follows:

urine takes on the color of strongly brewed tea in case of gallbladder or liver disease; a reddish tint appears with glomerulonephritis, a similar color appears if the person ate beets the day before; Discoloration of urine occurs if a person drinks large amounts of liquid. If this color persists for a long time, it would be good to think about undergoing an examination to identify the cause; the presence of an inflammatory process in the urinary tract leads to the appearance of cloudy urine with flakes; Foam in the urine appears in men when sperm enters the urethra.

A change in the color of urine is a reason to consult a doctor, but it is not necessary that a pathology will be detected in a person during an examination.

Why is urine colorless?

The color of urine is influenced by a large number of factors. Clear urine sometimes indicates that a significant amount of water is entering the body. In this case, an increased urge to urinate is characteristic. The bladder fills quickly, and urine is excreted from the body without having time to become saturated with pigments.

This situation is not as harmless as it seems at first glance. If urine does not have a light yellow color for a long time, this causes beneficial elements to be washed out of the body. This biological fluid may be colorless if you drink a lot of tea and coffee, which have a diuretic effect.

Clear urine may indicate the development of diseases:

diabetes insipidus; urine, in addition to being colorless, has no odor; advanced kidney disease; hepatitis and other liver diseases; urinary tract problems; urolithiasis. Incredible... You can cure prostatitis, balanoposthitis, impotence, adenoma and other diseases forever! This time. Without taking antibiotics! That's two. During the week! That's three.

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Recommendations

The first thing to rule out is the influence of food. You should not give your child sweets with harmful artificial additives. But eating fruits and vegetables should also be in moderation - excess can cause not only a change in the color of urine, but also allergies.

In addition, you need to pay attention to correcting your drinking regime. The child must consume a sufficient amount of fluid, which depends on age and physiological parameters. Children need to be given clean water and healthy fruit drinks.

If the influence of these factors is excluded, you should immediately consult a doctor. Only a specialist can determine the specific reason why the urine has changed its color. And only after a full examination, the doctor will prescribe treatment to correct the situation. Not all provocateurs of such a seemingly insignificant symptom are harmless. Early detection of a serious disease is a significant factor in the effectiveness of therapy.

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Many parents are afraid of missing the onset of a serious illness in their child, so they carefully monitor his condition. Possible problems can be indicated by changes in activity during the day, appetite, stool, and urine color. Deviations do not always mean the onset of a disease. Perhaps the child was overtired, ate the wrong food, or the medication caused an unusual side effect. Of course, there is no point in letting the situation take its course. You need to continue to monitor changes and if you have alarming symptoms, go to the hospital.

Clear urine like water

Normal color of urine. at the sight of which every person should lift their spirits and increase their enthusiasm, this is straw yellow. And the color of this familiar product (the result of the process) of nutrition depends on pigments, which are products of bilirubin metabolism and are called urochromes. Dark, red, cloudy urine is rightfully a cause for concern.

However, a person who is attentive to his health should also be concerned about the lack of color in urine. It is likely that this is a sign of a serious disease. Colorless or pale urine has low density and is usually excreted in large quantities. It is not a sin to consult a doctor.

Thus, the color of urine becomes more intense as the concentration of urochromes in it increases, and vice versa. A decrease in the concentration of urochromes in urine may be due to an increased amount of fluid produced by the kidneys. With a low concentration of pigments in urine, the human eye evaluates this product as transparent and colorless.

Reasons for clarification of urine

Therefore, clear urine can be considered normal when the body is saturated with fluid. If you consume a lot of liquid or foods containing liquid (watermelons), the body has to get rid of excess water with the help of the kidneys, and the urine becomes noticeably lighter, even water-colored. If the abundant intake of liquid is stopped, the color of the urine will return to normal very quickly.

Another reason for a sharp clearing of urine may be diabetes insipidus, when a person drinks a lot and, accordingly, produces a lot of urine. With this disease, the reason for light urine is the same - a low concentration of pigments due to a large amount of water.

There is another very alarming reason for the appearance of watery urine. This is kidney failure, which occurs as a result of chronic and sometimes acute kidney disease, when the concentrating ability of the kidneys is impaired and they are not able to take the necessary fluid from the urine. This condition can be fatal.

Salts in urine

Salts in a child’s urine indicate errors in his diet and usually appear with the introduction of complementary foods, especially meat broths, fatty meats and fish, and other products of animal origin. This phenomenon is also observed in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, in particular gastritis and stomach ulcers. The amount of salts in the urine increases due to pathologies of the kidneys and bile ducts.

If your child's urine changes color or becomes cloudy, you should consult a doctor. An increased concentration of salts in it can lead to dangerous diseases and conditions, for example, diathesis, gout, ulcerative colitis, cystitis, and fever. Having identified the cause that provoked any disruption in the functioning of the body, it will be necessary to eliminate it.