Signs of Kidney Infection in Children You Should Never Ignore

Early Indicators of Kidney Infection You Should Never Ignore

It is quite rare for kidney infections in children to present as a single symptom as they show up with minor alterations in urination, behaviour, and overall health. Let’s look at those signs, so as a parent you can intervene before the child’s health gets out of control.

1. Alterations in Urination: One of the initial symptoms is a marked change in the child’s urination pattern. You might observe that your child is urinating more often or producing little urine, or complaining of pain or burning sensation during urination. In some instances, urine may be unusually dark, cloudy, foamy or even have blood stains, which may be a sign of protein leakage.

2. Continuous Fever and Shivering: A very high fever that comes on suddenly, especially when there are no other cold or flu symptoms to explain it, may be a sign that the infection has spread to the kidneys. This type of fever, if it is accompanied by shivering or keeps coming back even after simple treatments, should never be overlooked.

3. Back, Side, or Abdominal Pain: Lower back and side (flank) pain is one of the common symptoms of kidney illness. Younger kids often don’t tell exactly where it hurts; instead, they might say their tummies hurt. So, you should be extra cautious if your child’s stomach pain keeps coming back or you can’t tell why it hurts.

4. Swelling and Puffiness: Due to kidney infections the body starts accumulating extra fluid (fluid retention) in the body, causing swelling around the eyes (noticeable in the morning), or puffiness in the feet, ankles, and face. Such swelling is often a sign that the kidneys are not working properly.

5. Nausea, Vomiting, and Loss of Appetite: With kidney infections getting worse the child may vomit quite a lot or feels nauseated. Additionally, a reduced food intake or complete refusal to eat, especially with other symptoms, can mean that the body is finding it difficult to deal with the infection.

6. Fatigue and Behavioural Changes: A child with a kidney infection may become weak and show signs of fatigue. On the other hand he or she might become moody, have difficulty in concentration and loss of interest in activity can be noticed. These subtle signs often go unnoticed and ignored.

7. Bedwetting or Regression in Toilet Habits: Wet bed at night by a child who was previously toilet trained may be a sign of an underlying urinary or kidney condition that needs medical attention. When a child suddenly starts wetting the bed after being trained, it should not be just attributed to behavioural problems only. Such reversion can be the indication of a urinary or kidney problem, which requires medical attention.

   8. Growth and Development Concerns: When kidney issues go unnoticed and left untreated, they may affect a child’s growth and development. Being underweight, experiencing developmental milestone delays, or generally lagging behind physically as compared to children of the same age can be warning signs of these issues.