Health Tip: Urinary Tract Infections Are Common in Children

(HealthDay News) — By the time they’re 5, about 8 percent of girls and up to 2 percent of boys will have had a urinary tract infection (UTI), the Nemours Foundation says.

The foundation says these factors can increase a youngster’s risk of developing a UTI:

  • Being female, especially a young girl who is toilet training.
  • Being an uncircumcised boy, younger than age 1.
  • Having a urinary tract abnormality.
  • Having an abnormal backward flow of urine from the bladder.
  • Having poor toilet or hygiene habits.
  • Using soaps or bubble baths that irritate the urethra.
  • Having a family history of UTI.