Childhood UTI's Increase Risk of Kidney Failure Later in Life

Urinary tract infections remain relatively common among children, making it one of the most serious bacterial infections early in life. A recent study published in JAMA Pediatrics found that for younger children, it can even result in kidney failure later in life.

"We found that you more or less can predict the children who are at higher risk by looking at three different things when they come in," said study author Dr. Nader Shaikh, an assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh and a pediatrician at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, via WebMD.

Identifying infection early is key to treatment. According to researchers, doctors should check for a combination of three factors: high fever, detection of kidney abnormalities via ultrasound and the identification of the type of bacteria involved.

Though doctors had typically used a combination catheter/X-ray to detect infection of those at greater risk for kidney scarring, they now look for signs of infection with a special dye that fills the child's bladder.

For the study, researchers reviewed existing data from previous studies that involved 1,280 children aged 18 and younger. Findings revealed that about 15 percent of these children suffered from kidney scarring via a urinary tract infection. Three particular factors could also help to predict the risk of scarring: fever of at least 102 degrees, bacterial infection and ultrasound readings that detected abnormalities in the kidney.

A model based on these factors revealed nearly 45 percent of children who ended up developing kidney scars; this is just three to five percent less effective than other models that involve blood tests or catheter/X-ray examination, according to researchers.

"Now that we know the groups at greatest risk, maybe we can come up with methods for decreasing inflammation during this infection and possibly preventing scars," added Shaikh. "We can back off the things we're doing that are distressing to children, and think about novel ways to preserve the kidneys of these children."