“Can diapers cause UTI in children?”
My daughter is 3 years old and goes to preschool. She still wears a diaper to school which I change after 2 hours. But, she has recently developed a UTI. Could it be due to diapers or some other reason?
6 Answers
Diapers are an unlikely cause of a UTI. Constipation is common cause of UTIs as are bubble baths, which should not be used for little girls. UTIs, at around age 3 years can also be in part caused by girls withholding urination. It's an age when children realize that there is one thing in their lives that they can control!
A dirty diaper can increase the risk of UTI in a girl simply because of the short urethra in female anatomy. Bacteria in the stool can get into the lower urinary tract causing "ascending" infection. This is similar in an uncircumcised boy where bacteria can colonize under the foreskin and lead to infection. Check her diaper more often!
Thank you.
Thank you.
Usually girls are more likely to get UTI due to close relationships of urethra and anus. Make sure to wipe front to back and do frequent changes. No bubble baths. If they are recurrent she needs a renal ultrasound to make sure the kidneys are not swollen.
Martin Allan Koyle
Urologist (Pediatric)
Not likely. Infections are usually multifactorial and diapers not a likely culprit.
The use of the diaper did not not cause the UTI. You might be concerned that the school is not changing the diaper as frequently as you, but a 3 year old typically would stay dry longer than a 2 hour interval.
Has she a problem with frequent constipation? Stool retained in the rectal vault for prolonged periods of several days will block complete bladder emptying, and the resultant stagnant pool of urine can overgrown fecal bacteria if contamination has occurred.
A single UTI is not problematic, but recurrent UTI in young patients does warrant a work up to rule out an atomic anomalies that could be causative.
Has she a problem with frequent constipation? Stool retained in the rectal vault for prolonged periods of several days will block complete bladder emptying, and the resultant stagnant pool of urine can overgrown fecal bacteria if contamination has occurred.
A single UTI is not problematic, but recurrent UTI in young patients does warrant a work up to rule out an atomic anomalies that could be causative.
Diaper does not cause urine infection. Urine infection is because of short urethra in girls and from fecal contamination.
