Baby can't urinate, what to do?

Acute urinary retention is an emergency in adult urology and is often associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia. However, failure to urinate is relatively rare and has been described primarily through case reports with various etiologies.

The urinary system is an excretory system of the body, consisting of 2 kidneys, 2 ureters, 1 bladder and 1 urethra. The function of the kidneys is to filter the blood to remove waste products and produce urine. Urine flows from the kidneys down through the ureters to the bladder. A ring of muscle (called the sphincter), which contracts to hold urine in the bladder and relaxes when it is necessary to urinate. Urine passes through another tube called the urethra to the outside when urinating.
Urinary retention occurs when the body cannot consciously empty the bladder completely or only partially. Instead of all of the urine being expelled through the urethra, some remains in the bladder or is completely unable to urinate. In young children, difficulty urinating can be a short- or long-term problem and can be sudden (acute) or worsen (chronic).
If urine remains in the bladder for a long time, the baby's inability to urinate for a long time can lead to urinary incontinence and increase the likelihood of UTIs. In some severe cases, urine can begin to 'reflux' towards the kidneys, causing long-term kidney damage.

Causes of difficulty urinating can be due to:
Abnormalities in the structure of the urethra such as narrowing or obstruction; Structural problems with the bladder neck, sometimes after treatment for a congenital condition, such as a posterior urethral valve or an enlarged bladder; Weak bladder and pelvic floor muscles; Problems with the nerve pathways between the bladder and the brain; Side effects of some medications, including anesthesia; Surgery of the urinary system; Constipation occurs when bowel movements are full of stool and press on the bladder and urethra.

Baby has sudden difficulty urinating or acute urinary retention is extremely painful and causes abdominal distension.
However, the child may not have any noticeable symptoms with chronic urinary retention. However, symptoms may include:
Urinary incontinence and recurrent urinary tract infections; Increased feeling of wanting to urinate more often; Difficulty starting and producing a weak or interrupted stream of urine when urinating; In addition, the child may also have persistent discomfort in the lower abdomen.

First, the doctor will need to make a note of when the baby started having difficulty urinating or the baby is not urinating and check to see if the child's bladder feels hard because it is full of urine or there are any signs of constipation. which not. To determine clearly, the doctor will order an ultrasound of the bladder and kidneys.
In addition, the child may be assigned an assessment of bladder function. This is a combination of tests to check the urinary system for structure and function. Other children may need a CT scan with scans of their bladder to look for abnormalities. In addition, other tests to diagnose why your baby is having difficulty urinating due to a possible urinary tract infection are also needed.
Another test your doctor may recommend is a cystoscopy. This method allows you to see inside and around your baby's bladder using a cystoscope.

Children with acute urinary retention need urgent urine drainage to quickly relieve pressure on the bladder and abdomen. Usually, the doctor inserts a catheter into the urethra so that urine can be drained into an external bag. If the urethra is blocked and the catheter cannot pass through, the doctor may insert the catheter through the skin into the bladder and drain it just above the pubic bone. Once the bladder has been drained, the child is given various tests as described above to find out why he is not urinating.
In children with chronic urinary retention usually does not require urgent treatment but must be evaluated to reduce the risk of infection and kidney damage. Bladder training and physiological reflexes can help children understand the neural messages that pass between the bladder and brain, and strengthen the sphincter muscles to facilitate lower urinary tract movement. easier.
If the child's inability to urinate is attributed to a medication causing urinary retention, the child will need to change the prescription to another or reduce the dose. Your doctor may also prescribe other medications that relax your bladder and pelvic floor muscles to make it easier to urinate.
If your baby's difficulty urinating is thought to be due to any structural problem with the urinary system, the child may need surgery. If the urethra is narrow and the urethra stretches or dilates, the child may need a stent (plastic tube) inserted to keep the urinary tract open. If the urethra is blocked, your doctor will need to perform an operation to fix the problem.
In summary, urinary retention in children is a relatively rare physical problem. Instead of worrying "what to do if the baby can't urinate", parents need to calmly take their child to the hospital to have the urinary tract decompressed and diagnose the cause and fix it. Children will be examined the structure and function of the urinary system, combined with imaging tests to treat and prevent complications later.
Currently, the Pediatrics Department at Vinmec International General Hospital is trusted by many parents to examine the diseases that babies and children have. Vinmec brings satisfaction to customers and is highly appreciated by industry experts by:
Gathering a team of leading doctors and nurses in Pediatrics: Including leading experts with high professional qualifications, Experienced, worked in large hospitals. The doctors are well-trained, professional, have a mind - range, and are knowledgeable about young psychology. In addition to domestic pediatricians, the Department of Pediatrics also has the participation of foreign experts who are always pioneers in applying the most effective and new treatment regimens. Comprehensive services: In the field of Pediatrics, Vinmec provides a series of continuous medical examination and treatment services from Newborn to Pediatric and Vaccine,... according to international standards to help parents take care of their baby's health from birth to childhood. upon reaching adulthood. Advanced techniques: Vinmec has successfully deployed many specialized techniques to make the treatment of difficult diseases in Pediatrics more effective: Neurosurgery - craniofacial surgery, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in cancer treatment. Professional care: In addition to understanding children's psychology, Vinmec also pays special attention to the children's play space, helping them to play comfortably and get used to the hospital's environment, cooperate in treatment, improve the efficiency of medical treatment.