WORLD JOURNAL OF ADVANCE
HEALTHCARE RESEARCH

Dr. Yasir Abdulelah Mahmood*

ABSTRACT

Background: Urinary tract infection should be considered in any child under 2 years of age or younger who has unexplained fever. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of urinary tract infection in febrile children under 2 years old, effect of breast feeding on urinary tract infection and prevalence and the effect of circumcision on Urinary tract infection. Patients and Methods: A cross sectional study was done to determine the prevalence of urinary tract infection in febrile children under 2 years old who presented to the emergency department and pediatric wards of Al Salam Teaching Hospital during the period from the first of April 2023 to the first of November 2024, all patients were randomly chosen. After taking good history and examination and send the patients to general urine examination, then those with positive findings in general urine examination (pyuria, bacteriuria or both) were send for urine culture. Children were included in the study if have possible cause of fever such as gastroenteritis or upper respiratory tract infection and were excluded from study if have definite source of fever (such as meningitis, pneumonia and septic arthritis). Results: There were 600 patients included in our study 315 (52.5%) girls and 285 (47.5%) boys, with boy to girl ratio was (0.9/1) there were 34 positive results, overall prevalence in our study sample were (5.7%), girls were 21(61.8%) and boys were 13 (38.2%), the overall prevalence were more common in girls (girl to boy ratio was 1.6/1), but it did not reach statistical level of significance. Comparing between circumcised and uncircumcised patients with urinary tract infection 11 patient (84.6%) of boys were uncircumcised (P value =0.05) which is statistically significant. The prevalence of urinary tract infection is more common among those with non identified cause of fever (8%) (13/162) as compared with those with possible cause of fever (4.8%) (21/438). The prevalence of urinary tract infection according to type of feeding: bottle feeding (73.5%) (25/34), mixed bottle and breastfeeding (20.6%) (7/34), breastfeeding (5.9%) (2/34), statistically is extremely significant= 0.0001. Conclusions: Urinary tract infection Is prevalent in febrile children without a definite source of fever. UTI is more common in boys among febrile children less than 1 year old especially those who are uncircumcised, whereas it is more common in girls who are more than 1 year old. UTI is more prevalent in young children with bottle feeding.