dreading a UTI

[~NewMa~]

My son is 3 and 1/2. Has only had minor problems with redness or irritation of the foreskin, no other problems. The last couple of days he has been showing signs of having a UTI. Since Thursday he has complained of 1 painful, burning urination, then the rest of the day he's fine. Yesterday and today it was that first morning pee. Today is still early but yesterday he had no more complaints the rest of the day. His urine looks normal, he has no fever, there is no redness or inflammation to the foreskin, glans or meatus. Of course, on the weekend we've been referred to the pager of a docotr who we've never met. I'm dreading him sending us to the ER for this!!! Anyone here been through this? Any comforting words? Really don't want my parents to find out. I'm 30 years old and I still fear what they have to say about my decisions. My father, in particular, has never agreed with my decision to not circ and he reminds me of it. This would be a big "I told ya so" :(

[LonelyPageTurnr]

So he's complaining of burning with urination, but has no fever?  Any nausea or vomiting?  You say his glans is not red, is he retractable?  If you go to the doctor, they'll probably want a urine sample.  A lot of doctors will want to cath, but you can get a good clean catch with a bag, usually. 

However, if he's only complaining about burning with urination, it could be because part of his foreskin is separating and it stings when he pees.  Try having him pee in a warm bath, and see if that helps.  I personally wouldn't take him to the doctor yet, but if he is still complaining by Monday I'd start considering it then. 
 

Originally Posted by ~NewMa~ 

My son is 3 and 1/2. Has only had minor problems with redness or irritation of the foreskin, no other problems. The last couple of days he has been showing signs of having a UTI. Since Thursday he has complained of 1 painful, burning urination, then the rest of the day he's fine. Yesterday and today it was that first morning pee. Today is still early but yesterday he had no more complaints the rest of the day. His urine looks normal, he has no fever, there is no redness or inflammation to the foreskin, glans or meatus. Of course, on the weekend we've been referred to the pager of a docotr who we've never met. I'm dreading him sending us to the ER for this!!! Anyone here been through this? Any comforting words? Really don't want my parents to find out. I'm 30 years old and I still fear what they have to say about my decisions. My father, in particular, has never agreed with my decision to not circ and he reminds me of it. This would be a big "I told ya so" :(

[JBaxter]

I would dab a little aquaphor or something similar on the end.   He's 3.5 and even if he has a UTI sounds like his first that happens sometimes but it could be just irritation burning.  "I" used to get irritated if I used a strange soap as a kid wasnt cause to get my labia cut off.  Unless he is REALLY uncomfortable or spikes a fever I would wait.  

If he says his penis burns/hurts again I would say lets put this cream on it and make it feel better.  Sometimes if its just an irritation that cream magically works. 

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

I agree with the above posters if it is just occasional burning with no fever odds are it is not a UTI but some separation going on.

If you do take him in make sure they dont retract for the cath. they can do it by just moving the foreskin back enough to see the opening on the glans.

[MichelleZB]

Also, make sure he's drinking lots of fluids and voiding his bladder frequently! This really does help (and I know as a person who used to get frequent UTIs!).

[~NewMa~]

So it is a UTI. 

He started complaining of the burning frequently, even when just drinking a cup of water and was afraid to go to the bathroom. I could tell he was in pain. This was intense burning. He was crying and shaking when he'd pee :(

We went to see the doc. She tested the urine in the office and remarked "Whoa! There's a lot of bacteria in here". 
She's still sending to the lab (not sure for what), but he was started on an antibiotic.

I also bought him homeopathic cantharis for additional support and have him on probiotics. 

I also thought this could be seperation happening but my gut was saying it was a UTI and I'm glad we got it checked.

I still feel uneasy about what could have caused this.

He does need to drink more fluids. 

I don't know why but I have to remind him constantly! I could have a cup for him in every room and still have to ask him to pick it up and drink! 

I know that even circumcised boys get UTI's but when I was looking up info online I came across studies showing that uncircumcised males are twice as likely to get them, especially at this age. 

It's just soooo uncommon for a fully potty trained boy to get a UTI!

I wanna know WHY it happened!

I'm just concerned. I'm sure you understand. 

Thank you ladies for your responses and suggestions. 

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

All those studies you found about UTI are from data that is outdated. It has since been proven that having a foreskin does not increase risk of UTI. Here are several articles on UTI and intact:

UTI myth: http://www.cirp.org/library/disease/UTI/

http://www.nocirc.org/statements/breastfeeding.php

In fact, UTI's are so rare in any case that, using Wiswell's data, 50 to 100 healthy boys would have to be circumcised in order to prevent a UTI from developing in only one patient. (Using more recent data from a better-controlled study, the number of unnecessary operations needed to prevent one hospital admission for UTI would jump to 195.

FORESKINS: Seek Elsewhere for Infants' Urinary Tract Infections
http://www.cirp.org/news/1997.12.22_PhysiciansWeekly/



UTI Neonatal Circumcision revisited
http://www.cps.ca/english/statements/FN/fn96-01.htm#PREVENTION%20OF%20UTI


The incidence of Geniturinary abnormalities in circumcised and uncircumcised presenting with an initial urinary tract infection by 6 months of age
http://www.cirp.org/library/disease/UTI/mueller/

[tropicana]

how about cranberry juice? doesn't that work for women who get bladder infections? would that not help a young boy with similar such infection? could start him on it everyday, perhaps mixed with other juice or water, as a preventative.

[Cyllya]

Originally Posted by ~NewMa~ 

It's just soooo uncommon for a fully potty trained boy to get a UTI!

I wanna know WHY it happened!

When he goes to the bathroom, does he use the same toilet paper wipe his penis/urethra AFTER wiping his butt? I remember one mom on here found that her son's frequent UTIs were caused by that.

[mama24-7]

Originally Posted by ~NewMa~ 

So it is a UTI. 

He started complaining of the burning frequently, even when just drinking a cup of water and was afraid to go to the bathroom. I could tell he was in pain. This was intense burning. He was crying and shaking when he'd pee :(

We went to see the doc. She tested the urine in the office and remarked "Whoa! There's a lot of bacteria in here". 
She's still sending to the lab (not sure for what), but he was started on an antibiotic.

I also bought him homeopathic cantharis for additional support and have him on probiotics. 

I also thought this could be seperation happening but my gut was saying it was a UTI and I'm glad we got it checked.

I still feel uneasy about what could have caused this.

He does need to drink more fluids. 

I don't know why but I have to remind him constantly! I could have a cup for him in every room and still have to ask him to pick it up and drink! 

I know that even circumcised boys get UTI's but when I was looking up info online I came across studies showing that uncircumcised males are twice as likely to get them, especially at this age. 

It's just soooo uncommon for a fully potty trained boy to get a UTI!

I wanna know WHY it happened!

I'm just concerned. I'm sure you understand. 

Thank you ladies for your responses and suggestions. 

I would suspect that his flora overall is out of balance, for a number of reasons, I'd imagine.  While neither of my intact ds' have ever had a UTI, neither of them have healthy flora.  They have multiple food allergies & leaky guts.  They take probiotics, eat fermented foods & we are working on healing their leaky guts through diet & supplements to make it so they are less susceptible to infections in general.

Feel free to PM me if you'd like more info and/or details.

Sus
 

[~NewMa~]

thank you for the links!

He has been doing diluted cranberry and I've been "forcing fluids" for him (reminder after reminder to drink- he just doesn't do it himself for some reason.) He's also on probiotics as well. I assume his system is off as well but he's a picky eater and I just don't have any idea where to begin when it comes to diet change. I feel that we eat healthy. We have our own chickens for the eggs, we raise our own turkeys for the holiday meals. We use a local butcher and do grass fed meats  and organics when we're able, but honestly, we're kinda just scraping by here and I don't have the extra money to spend on organic food. And you can't say it's not more expensive cause it just is. It just is. I appreciate all the suggestions. THanks again.

[serendipity22]

I would just like to add that the claims that circumcision reduces UTIs is *only * in babies under 12 months old. There is no study that supports this claim in older boys. Unfortunately, like in Chinese whispers, some people assume the claim applies to males of all ages. It doesn't, only to infants.

Without Wiswell, *no-one* would be thinking foreskin has anything to do with UTIs.

In anycase, Wiswells studies were badly flawed and the claim is contentious.

In a 3.5 year old, having a foreskin or not makes no difference.