What causes a urinary tract infection (UTI) in children?
Nearly all UTIs in children are the result of bacteria from the stool contaminating the urethra. This helps explain why infants in diapers and children during potty training are the most commonly affected. Uncircumcised males are at increased risk of UTI due to poor cleaning of the area under the foreskin. After the first year of life, females are ten times as likely to develop a UTI when compared to males. This is due to a difference in anatomy. Females have a much shorter urethra when compared to males. Therefore bacteria are much more likely to reach the bladder. When the infection travels through the ureters to the kidney, a more serious infection develops.
