Descriptive Study on Urinary Tract Infections among Children

Abstract

Abstract Background: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the most prevalent bacterial infections affecting approximately 1.7% of boys and 8.4% of girls. Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine different variables that are associated with an increased risk of UTI in children. Subjects and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study conducted on 150 convenient urine samples were obtained from Child’s Teaching Hospital in Baghdad city from children under 12 years during period of September 20, 2021–December 20, 2021. The inclusion criteria include children between 1 and 12 years old for both sexes with clinical evidence of UTIs diagnosed by physicians attending this hospital. The exclusion criteria were children under 1 year and those with genetic defect of UTI. Results: Highest rates of UTIs were in the age group (<1–4 years); 77 (51.3%) of them were male with a male-to-female ratio of 1.05:1. About 16.7% of children whose mothers had primary education were diagnosed with UTIs. Twenty-two percentage of positive culture tests occur in those wiping from the front as compared with 27.3% wiping from the back from behind. The positive culture test was found in 33.7% of those not circumcised in comparison with 19.4% of those undergone circumcision. Escherichia coli was detected in 31 (20.7%) of the studied sample. Conclusion: UTIs are most prevalent among boys under 12 years, in particular those who did not undergone circumcision. E. coli is among the highest frequent bacteria detected in the urine cultures of children. It is recommended to educate mothers during pregnancy and after delivery regarding the importance of circumcision to boys and proper washing methods.