Some information about Urologic health concerns in children
Inguinal Hernias and Hydrocoeles
This is commonly seen in boys, though a few girls might have inguinal hernias too. When there is a bulge in the child's groin area this is most probably an inguinal hernia. It can also be seen to reach the scrotum at times. A hernia can be fixed via surgery. We recommended fixing hernias because of the possibility of the child's bowel (or other abdominal organs) getting trapped in it. A hydrocoele happens when there is a collection of fluid in the scrotal area. Majority of hydrocoeles go away during the first year. When a hydrocoele persists after this time, it could be a physical concern and a visit to your specialist is wisely advised. |
Undescended Testis
When a mother is pregnant with her son, the testes develop inside the child's abdomen. Before boys are born, these testes move towards the scrotum where they are normally located at the time of birth. Some infant boys have an incomplete journey of their gonads into the scrotum. This is known as undescended testis. A small fraction will have spontaneous descent during the first 6 months of life. If the testis does not come down to stay in the scrotum past the boy's age of 6 months, this will almost always remain undescended unless surgically fixed. For reasons mainly concerned with malignancy and reproduction, an evaluation by a physician is strongly recommended.
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Hypospadias
This condition is when the hole where a boy pees is not at the expected location at the tip of the penis. Oftentimes, there is also a downward curvature of the penis known as chordee. This is basically a situation which the boy will not outgrow and there is an option of reconstructive surgery to make the child's penis look and function as normal as possible.
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UTI in Children
A child having urinary tract infection (UTI) is not a good thing. This is a bacterial infection of the urinary tract. It is recommended that children with UTI be evaluated by a specialist because of the possibility of having complications when infections are left untreated or when these occur frequently.
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Vesicoureteral Reflux |
The kidneys are the "factories" which make the urine. After urine is made, it is transported to the bladder (which is the "warehouse") via tubes called ureters. During urination, the bladder squeezes the urine out through the urethra, which is the hole where the pee comes out. When a child has vesicoureteral reflux (VUR), there is backflow of the urine up towards the kidney, which is not supposed to happen. VUR by itself does not cause UTI. The problem basically is when a child gets UTI and the VUR allows the passage of infected urine to the kidney. This is considered complicated because it becomes a kidney infection. Infections of the kidney are not pleasant because they can cause discomfort and possible permanent ill effects on the child's kidney. |
UPJO (Ureteropelvic Junction Obstruction)
The tube that carries the urine out of the kidneys to the bladder is called the ureter. The point where it joins the kidney is called the ureteropelvic junction. Some children are born with narrowing of the tube at this area. This then causes varying degrees of blockage of the exit of urine. Blockage can sometimes lead to unwanted effects on the health of the kidney. Some will need surgical correction. It recommended to have an evaluation with your specialist to see what treatment options are available for your child. |