Did you know that children suffering from recurrent UTIs (urinary tract infections) aren’t faced with a higher risk of developing chronic kidney problems in the future? As long as there are no structural abnormalities found in the child’s kidney after his first UTI, there’s nothing to be worried about, says Dr. Jarmo Salo of the University of Oulu in Finland.
In addition, certain studies revealed that recurrent UTIs are a risk factor for chronic kidney disease; especially so if the child has VUR, or vesicoureteral reflux. According to statistics, 1 percent of children are suffering from VUR – a condition where urine rises back up to the kidneys from the bladder. While the reflux itself doesn’t do harm to the kidneys, it’s the bacteria in the urine that makes the kids prone to kidney problems, which can lead to scarring.
But the idea that VUR and recurrent UTIs cause chronic kidney problems in the future is a huge misconception.
For this study, researchers reviewed the records of over 1,500 patients and found no traces of childhood UTIs and VUR as the principal cause of chronic kidney disease.
Moreover, over half of all women suffer from UTI at least once in their lifetime. However, experts estimate that over one-third of women will experience recurrent UTIs. A very common disorder, UTI happens when bacteria goes into the urinary bladder, causing infection. Symptoms include painful urination, frequent urge to urinate and lower abdominal pain. If left untreated, it could cause severe kidney infection.
