Hematuria Child

Causes

Hematuria can be caused by many things, such as:

• Exercising really hard
• Injury to the belly, groin, or organs of the urinary tract
• Health issues that affect the urinary tract, such as infection, vesicoureteral reflux, blockage, or tumors
• Kidney or bladder cancer
• Kidney disease
• Kidney stones
• Bleeding problems, such as hemophilia
• Some health issues a person is born with, such as polycystic kidneys
• Some medicines

Sometimes the exact cause is not found.

Risk Factors

Things that may raise a child's chance of hematuria include:

• Urinary tract infection
• Recent upper respiratory tract infection
• Family history of kidney problems
• Injury or abuse
• Medicines, such as some antibiotics or pain relievers
• Pelvic radiation therapy for cancer treatment

Symptoms

A child may have other symptoms along with hematuria. These other symptoms will depend on what is causing the hematuria. For example, if it is cause by a urinary tract infection a child may have to urinate often. There may also be a burning feeling while they urinate.

Call the child's doctor if there is blood in the urine.

Diagnosis

The doctor will ask about symptoms and health history. A physical exam will be done.

Tests to look for infections and signs of kidney trouble may include:

• Urine tests—to check for blood, protein, bacteria, or cancer cells in the urine
• Blood tests—to check how well the kidneys are working and to look for conditions that cause hematuria

The doctor may also need to look at the kidneys and urinary tract. Imaging tests may include:

• X-ray
• Ultrasound
• CT scan
• MRI scan

Other tests that may be done include:

• Cystoscopy—to look at the lining of the bladder
• Kidney biopsy—this is not done very often, but it removes a small piece of kidney for testing

Treatment

The goals of treatment are to get the blood out of the urine and to address what caused it. How this is down will depend on the cause. Some causes do not require treatment. Other causes can be treated with medicine. For example, a urinary tract infection is treated with antibiotics.

Surgery may be needed if the urinary tract is blocked.

Prevention

Hematuria cannot always be prevented.