Urinary Tract Infection Problems in Girls

As a new mother, I never thought I'd have to worry about my daughter's urinary tract. We have always had some difficulty potty training, but when my daughter turned 3 years old we just thought we weren't doing something right. We tried positive reinforcement, and waited to see what would happen. Then, we had a major set back. She got a urinary tract infection. "How?" we thought. It didn't seem to make sense...until we really thought about it.

Children who are potty training and potentially going to day care like my daughter, aren't being carefully watched when they use the potty. They don't necessarily get the extra attention to detail when wiping. These leads to bacteria, specifically E. Coli hanging around in her just waiting to develop into an infection. This is a terrible problem to have!

My daughter was set back in potty training after the first infection. We gave her antibiotics, stuck with positive reinforcement, and she got better for a while. We noticed her coming home a little damp in her pants occassionally, but the problem was that she was smelly. I feel bad now because I scolded her so much for not trying hard enough to use the potty. She would tell me that she got distracted playing with a toy. It makes sense that a young girl will do that.

My daughter is 4 years old now and on her second UTI. It's the same problem, E. Coli bateria that should remain in the rear-end that ends up in the vaginal area (sorry for the graphic). It's important, though that parents know to keep their little girls clean down there. Don't be shy or embarrassed about it. It needs careful attention during potty training so you don't get these set-backs in potty training.

I have had to apologize to my daughter for scolding her after we found out that she had an infection and really couldn't control her bladder. Girls, you know exactly what I mean.

For the mothers out there with girls starting to potty train...beware! Don't slack off on teaching your daughters to wipe correctly after using the potty. Also, make sure that if you are in a daycare center that they are checking regularly for wet pants. UTIs can probably be avoided if the kids don't sit in urine too long.

Also, some bladder problems and urinary tract problem are hereditary. I had a physical abmormality that I didn't find out about until I was in my early twenties. I went year after year with 2-3 UTIs every year. Finally I said, "This is enough! I can't stand this any more and now my kidneys are seriously at risk." I went to a urologist who found a stricture, which is a simple thing really. It's simple that the urethra was too small to let urine pass through easily. After the urologist opened the urethra I stopped having UTIs. The problem was that repeated UTIs also caused Interstitial Cystitis. It's possible that my daughter has the same problem. I hope not!

We'll be going for an ultrasound and other testing to make sure everything is okay, but mothers having trouble potty training girls be sure that your daughter doesn't have an infection.