Are frequent UTIs in a 4 year old a concern?
Patient: My Grandaughter is experiencing a lot of urinary track infections. She is only turning 4 in Jan. My Daughter - in - law told me that she might have some kind of reflex disease. They are or will be running tests. Is this rare for this age group and what causes this to happen? Doctor: Hello and Welcome to ‘Ask A Doctor’ service. I have reviewed your query and here is my advice.  Less that ten % of young girls can have vesicoureteral reflux.  This is when urine in the bladder refluxes, or travels out of bladder into the ureter, and back up toward the kidney.  The ureter is the tube-like structure that normally takes urine from the kidney down into the bladder. In these young girls the attachment of the bottom of the ureter into the bladder is abnormal and allows the urine to leave the bladder and go back up into the ureter. Depending how severe the reflux, the urine can go back up into the ureter and into the kidney.   Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.