Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)

We’re seeing more urinary tract infections (UTIs) lately. UTIs happen when bacteria get into the urinary system—usually the bladder—and cause inflammation and infection.

What Parents Should Know:

• Symptoms can vary by age:

  • Infants: Fever, irritability, poor feeding, or vomiting (they often can’t tell you it hurts to pee).

  • Toddlers and older kids: Pain or burning with urination, frequent urge to pee, belly or back pain, accidents in potty-trained kids, or strong-smelling urine.

• UTIs are caused by bacteria, most often E. coli , which normally lives in the gut.

• They are not contagious, but they do need to be treated with antibiotics.