How can urinary tract infections be prevented?
If your child has a normal urinary tract, you can help him or her avoid UTIs by encouraging regular trips to the bathroom. Make sure your child gets enough to drink if infrequent voiding is a problem. Teach your child proper cleaning techniques after using the bathroom to keep bacteria from entering the urinary tract. Some abnormalities in the urinary tract correct themselves as the child grows, but some defects may require surgical correction. A common procedure to correct VUR is the reimplantation of the ureters. During this surgery, the doctor repositions the connection between the ureter and the bladder so that urine will not back up into the ureters and kidneys. In recent years, doctors have treated some cases of VUR by injecting collagen, or a similar substance, into the bladder wall, just below the opening where the ureter joins the bladder. This injection creates a kind of valve that keeps urine from flowing back into the ureter. The injection is delivered to the inside of the
