Urinary Tract Infection in Childhood

Abstract

Eight per cent of girls and 2% of boys have a urinary tract infection (UTI) in childhood — the majority in the first year of life. Among neonates, boys have more infections than girls. In all other age groups girls are ten times more likely to have UTIs than boys. Risk factors are listed in Box 1. Most childhood UTIs are caused by normal bowel flora such as E. coli (80%), Klebsiella, Pseudomonas and other Gram-negative organisms.