Pediatric Oncall- Urinary & Genital Problems In Children

Dr. Vivek M. Rege
Pediatric Surgeon & Pediatric Urologist
B J Wadia Hospital For Children, Hurkisondas Hospital, Wockhardt Hospital, Mumbai

Minor problems - or what look like minor problems may be a pointer to major renal anomalies in some children, and unless we thoroughly investigate and follow them up, we are likely to miss them. Which are these problems that require you to show the child to a specialist? Some of them could be like

Recurrent urinary infections
Straining to pass urine
Burning or pain while urinating
Frequent passing of urine during the day
Wetting of the under clothes during the day
Bed wetting at night time
Fever without a known cause
Swelling in the groin(male/female) or scrotal region(male)
Pain, redness, swelling in the scrotum
Passing blood colored urine ? hematuria
Absence of one or both testes from the scrotum in a boy
Pain in lower abdomen in midline below umbilicus
Palpable or visible mass in abdomen
Abnormal position of the urinary opening (male)
Abnormal looking external genitals
Recurrent attacks of loin pain going downwards
Foul smelling urine frequently
Frequent touching or pulling at the foreskin of the penis
Ballooning of the foreskin of penis while passing urine
Not passing urine for long period of > 8 ? 10 hours
Pus discharge from below the penile foreskin
Pain and inability to retract the foreskin of the penis

These are some of the complaints or reasons for seeking a specialists opinion and when necessary getting the relevant investigations done to rule out any major disease or anomaly of the genito urinary system. Many undetected major kidney anomalies may progress with age and could cause total loss of function which could have been avoidable had the child been seen and investigated by the right specialist.