What Abnormalities Lead to Urinary Problems?
Many children who get urinary tract infections have normal kidneys and bladders, but children who have an abnormality need to have it detected as early as possible in life to try to protect their kidneys against damage. Abnormalities that could occur include the following: • Vesicoureteral reflux. Urine normally flows from the kidneys down the ureters to the bladder in one direction. With reflux, when the bladder fills, the urine may also flow backward from the bladder up the ureters to the kidneys. This abnormality is common in children with urinary infections. • Urinary obstruction. Blockages to urinary flow may occur at many sites in the urinary tract. Blockages usually occur if the ureter or urethra is too narrow or a kidney stone at some point stops the urinary flow from leaving the body. Occasionally, the ureter may join the kidney or bladder at the wrong place, preventing urine from leaving the kidney in a normal way.
