Why do doctors immediately send a child for a urine test if he gets sick? Yes, because urine is a productive indicator of how the human body functions and how metabolic products are removed. It is not easy for a baby to perform complex tests, so doctors prefer simple and effective research methods.

Why does an adult's urine have a straw-yellow color? This depends on the presence of pigments in it, the very products of metabolism. A small baby who is breastfed has a very light color of urine, but as new foods are introduced into his diet, the baby's urine turns yellow. What do you need to know about the urine of an infant in order to recognize the problem in time if the child is sick?

The number of urination processes in a baby can reach 25 times a day, so it is easy for the mother to control indicators such as color, smell, transparency and amount of urine. A logical question: how to do all this, provided that the child is in diapers? But diapers should definitely be removed from time to time, and if some urine parameter seems to be altered, it is worth observing the baby more closely without using a diaper.

The urine of an infant is normally transparent, very light, and odorless. It should be remembered that in the first week of life, almost all children experience a short-term change in the color of urine to brick yellow. In girls, bloody discharge from the genitals may also appear. Don't be alarmed, but be sure to tell your pediatrician about this when you visit.

Why does your baby's urine smell like acetone or change color?

But all other cases of changes in the color, quantity, transparency and smell of urine are a reason to consult a doctor. Inflammatory processes in infants develop very quickly, and urine is a clear indication of what is happening:

• If the urine is dark yellow in color, then it will have an increased content of bile pigments;
• The orange color of urine indicates a high salt content;
• When the urine of an infant is red, there is a high concentration of erythrocytes (red blood cells);
• The greenish tint is most likely caused by obstructive jaundice.

In each of the above cases, the baby must be treated quickly. What does a change in urine clarity indicate? Normally, it remains transparent in the container for two hours after collection, and only then becomes slightly cloudy. Depending on the degree of turbidity, this may indicate the presence of inflammatory processes in the body and the content of salts - oxalates or phosphates. However, every mother needs to know that the clarity of urine, as well as some other parameters, can be affected by the child’s preliminary hygiene or an unsterile container. Therefore, you can repeat the urine collection yourself if you admit that you could have made such a mistake.

Why does my baby's urine smell like acetone? This is a sign of the presence of ketone bodies in it, which appear in a number of inflammatory diseases, diabetes, dehydration, and fasting. Of course, if such a smell appears, you should immediately visit your pediatrician and get tested.

The smell of urine in a baby can be affected by the mother’s diet: when her diet changes (eating unusual foods), the composition of the milk changes slightly, and therefore the baby’s urine. In children who are bottle-fed, the smell of urine is always more pronounced.

We do tests correctly

So, to make sure that an infant's urine is normal - or, on the contrary, there are changes in it, the first step is to take a urine test. Of course, urine from filled diapers is not used for this, nor is urine from a potty if the baby already knows how to use it. Remember - very often deviations in analyzes are caused precisely by incorrect collection.

For a reliable analysis, a morning urine sample is needed, but in newborns, night urine can also be collected. If you undress a baby, he will most likely urinate quickly. But don't forget to wash it with baby soap. You should not allow feces to get into the analysis - to do this, you can hold a diaper or napkin between the buttocks.

For boys, urine is collected in a disposable medical container or a thoroughly washed and scalded container with boiling water. To collect urine from girls, many people use a clean saucer, from which they then pour the liquid into a container. You can also use special pharmaceutical urinals.

Should I be concerned if my baby has yellow urine? The color of urine is one of its indicators, which is analyzed in the laboratory. To make sure that the child's urinary system is normal, you can take a general urine test. Parents can independently assess the baby’s health by analyzing the number of urinations per day, the color and smell of urine.

Baby urine color

The color of urine depends primarily on the age and nutritional pattern of the baby. The older the child, the darker the color of his urine. Its coloring is promoted by eating certain foods and taking certain medications. If the baby is breastfed, then the mother's inclusion of beets, carrots and citrus fruits in the diet can change the color of the urine.

As a rule, the urine of a child under one year old is very light. Over time, it becomes straw yellow. If urine contains a lot of bilirubin, it becomes dark brown. This is one of the manifestations of neonatal jaundice and requires supervision by a pediatrician. You should definitely consult a doctor if your baby's urine has acquired an unusual color.

A baby's urine changes color in the first week of his life. In almost all babies, on days 7-10 of life, urine becomes brick-yellow (“infarction urine”). This phenomenon is explained by the development of the genitourinary system and is short-term in nature. At the same time, girls may experience bleeding from the genital tract.

The normal frequency of urination in a child during the first 12 months of life is approximately 25 times a day (in small portions). The standard of a healthy body is considered to be urine that has a light straw color and, therefore, a low specific gravity. In all other cases, especially if there is an unusual odor or cloudy urine, you should consult a doctor.

Salts in urine

Salts in a child’s urine indicate errors in his diet and usually appear with the introduction of complementary foods, especially meat broths, fatty meats and fish, and other products of animal origin. This phenomenon is also observed in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, in particular gastritis and stomach ulcers. The amount of salts in the urine increases due to pathologies of the kidneys and bile ducts.

If your child's urine changes color or becomes cloudy, you should consult a doctor. An increased concentration of salts in it can lead to dangerous diseases and conditions, for example, diathesis, gout, ulcerative colitis, cystitis, and fever. Having identified the cause that provoked any disruption in the functioning of the body, it will be necessary to eliminate it.

Concentrated urine in an infant

In the first days of a baby's life, his urine may contain uric acid crystals. They appear as a pinkish, orange, or reddish dusty spot on the diaper. This phenomenon is called “brown dust”. In practice, it occurs quite often and is not a deviation from the norm, so it does not pose a danger to the child’s health.

With each passing day of a baby's life, his urine becomes less concentrated. It acquires normal characteristics 5-6 days after the baby is born. This is due to the fact that the baby receives enough milk, and, therefore, water. But even after this period, “brown dust” may appear on his diaper from time to time.

If this phenomenon occurs rarely, then there is no need to panic. Otherwise, you should consult a doctor. If after the 4th day of a child’s life a small amount of urine is released from his body and it is concentrated, then this indicates a lack of nutrition. The baby's mother should consult a pediatrician or check her breastfeeding technique.

Smell of baby's urine

The smell of a child's urine can say a lot about his health. If it has acquired an unusual aroma, then parents should consult a doctor, as this may indicate the development of some pathology. Normally, a baby’s urine has a slight odor without a specific trail, while its color and transparency are also within the normal range.

If your urine smells like rotten apples, then it probably contains a lot of acetone. In this case, it is necessary to get tested and establish a diagnosis as soon as possible. Initially, excess acetone occurs in the liver, which significantly reduces its resistance to adverse environmental factors.

The formation of ketone bodies, which are the root cause of a large amount of acetone, is facilitated by:

If the urine smells like ammonia, this indicates cystitis. Pathogenic microorganisms provoke the decomposition of urine inside the bladder, resulting in severe inflammation in the urinary system. In this case, timely diagnosis and proper treatment are necessary.

The smell and color of a baby's urine, as well as the frequency of urination, are the most important indicators of his health. If you suspect the slightest abnormalities in the child’s urinary system, you should consult a doctor. Most likely, you will need to take a general urine test, on the basis of which a specialist will give recommendations for treating the baby.

A newborn baby's urine is practically odorless and colorless. This is due to the not yet perfect functioning of the internal organs. Over time, the smell of the baby’s urine changes, and gradually the baby’s urine begins to smell like an adult’s. However, if an atypical unpleasant odor appears, you should consult a pediatrician.

What does normal baby urine smell like?

The smell of urine in a child should not be pungent, not specific, and without unpleasant impurities. In children, in the first months of life, it practically does not smell. As soon as the diet is expanded due to the introduction of complementary foods, a subtle, soft, unobtrusive odor appears in the infant when urinating. This usually occurs from 5–6 months. The urine of a bottle-fed baby has a more pronounced aroma compared to babies who feed on mother's milk.

Parents should constantly monitor how their child's urine smells. This is especially important before the age when the baby is able to independently report health problems.

The smell of baby urine is a kind of indicator of the functioning of internal organs and body systems. As soon as the child’s urine begins to smell strongly, its color changes, and cloudiness is observed, the mother should definitely seek advice from her local pediatrician.

This is important because when urine smells strongly, there is a possibility of serious pathological processes in the child’s body. Timely identification of the reasons for the sudden change in odor when urinating in a child under one year old will allow you to avoid taking potent drugs.

Physiological causes of a specific odor

Why does my baby's urine smell strong? This can occur under the influence of a number of physiological factors. For example, in children after 12 years of age, a rich aroma appears when urinating due to increased production of hormones (puberty). A poor-quality diaper can cause even a one-month-old baby to experience a change in the smell of urine. Other possible reasons:

• Sudden changes in diet. As children grow older, they begin to consume foods with a specific taste (onions, garlic, spices). Gradually, the menu is supplemented with a large variety of food. As a result, the child may develop an unpleasant smell of urine.
• Dehydration is a serious risk for children, especially those under 1 year of age. In children it can occur due to food poisoning. The body's attempts to get rid of toxins are accompanied by profuse vomiting and diarrhea, due to which fluid is rapidly lost. In this case, the smell of ammonia or acetone appears in the urine. Dehydration, accompanied by a strong odor of discharge, often occurs in the summer heat.
• Lack of vitamin D. It is extremely important for a child’s body to receive the required amount of this vitamin, which is involved in many metabolic processes. Its deficiency leads to the fact that the urine smells bad, and the baby experiences a decrease in appetite, increased sweating, and poor hair growth (usually the first symptoms appear at 3 months). All these symptoms indicate the development of rickets.
• Treatment with antibiotics. The strange, chemical smell of urine goes away after children stop taking their medications.
• Rhinitis. If the smell of urine has changed due to nasal congestion, do not panic. Often, with recovery, this problem disappears on its own.

Pathological causes

If, for example, a child’s urine smells like ammonia and the parents have ruled out all physiological factors, you should consult a pediatrician. The causes of the phenomenon may be associated with serious disorders in the urinary system.

Malfunctions in the functioning of the endocrine glands, as well as a lack of glucose in the body, lead to large volumes of ketone bodies entering the urinary tract from the blood. This condition can be provoked by diabetes mellitus or acetonemia. If the ammonia smell is accompanied by darkening of the urine, it means that one of the parts of the urinary tract has encountered inflammation of an infectious nature.

When urine smells like fish, a specific genetic disease is present - trimethylaminuria. Moreover, not only urine, but even exhaled air vapor becomes fetid. A genetic disease called phenylketonuria is accompanied by a mouse-like odor in urine. A sign of leucinosis is urine that smells like burnt sugar - a consequence of impaired production of enzymes responsible for the oxidation of important amino acids.

Excessive odor of urine in childhood is a consequence of pathological processes in the liver with jaundice. In this case, the urine often smells like rotten eggs and may also have a sour odor.

Diseases of the genitourinary tract

Problems in children's urinary tract are common reasons for strong urine odor. Most often, pathologies develop in the kidneys, bladder, and urinary tract. In this case, ammonia may be felt in the child’s urine. In addition to the fact that the secreted liquid smells strongly, pain appears in the lower abdomen and lumbar region. If cloudy urine is observed against the background of these symptoms, the child has probably developed cystitis, urethritis or pyelonephritis.

It is boys who are more susceptible to urethritis, since the inflammatory process develops in the lower part of the urethra. Girls, as a rule, suffer from cystitis, because a short urethra contributes to the rapid development of symptoms of this disease. Due to a bacterial infection in the urinary tract, the urine begins to smell like penicillin. This occurs due to the excretion of waste products of microorganisms with biological fluid.

When a child’s urine smells like ammonia for a long time, parents should definitely go to an appointment with their local pediatrician. A urine analysis will help determine the exact cause of this phenomenon.

What should you do?

An abnormal, putrid smell of urine, accompanied by a general deterioration of the condition, is a reason for urgent consultation with a pediatrician. The sooner treatment is started, the greater the chance of avoiding the dangerous consequences of the disease.

Suspecting inflammation, the doctor will prescribe bacterial culture. Such an analysis will provide an idea of ​​the infectious focus, as well as its severity. The pungent odor of urine is a reason to test for the presence of sugar in the sample to rule out diabetes.

In case of dehydration, parents should monitor the replenishment of fluid in the child's body. For this, the baby should be given clean, still water. High fever and vomiting are indications for the prescription of special saline solutions. If the baby refuses to drink or cannot do so due to a gag reflex, you need to feed him with a tablespoon every 5-10 minutes.

How long will it take for the strong smell of urine in a child to disappear? It depends on the factors that provoked this phenomenon. For example, if an increase in ketone bodies is detected, the child needs glucose. For one-year-old children or younger children, ampoules with a glucose solution are suitable, and for those who are older, you can give a decoction of raisins, sweet compote or glucose tablets. After this, the unpleasant odor should disappear immediately. You can check the presence of ketone bodies in your urine yourself using test strips sold at pharmacies.

If the smell of stale fish appears, it may be a genetic disease. It will take a lot of time to treat her. Here you will need proper child care: a special diet rich in vitamins, which can last 1–2 months. In any case, for the baby to begin to recover, the main thing is not to self-medicate and follow the pediatrician’s recommendations.

A basic set of tests often helps to identify deviations from the norm and begin the search for the root cause of all problems. Thus, yellow urine in infants is sometimes perceived by young parents as an abnormal phenomenon. Everyone should understand the basic characteristics of urine in order to consult a doctor in a timely manner if there are significant deviations.

Baby urine color

Ideally, a baby's urine should be light yellow or amber in color. During the first 10 days of a newborn’s life, urine may change its color.

Initially colorless biological material (najat) may suddenly acquire a deep carrot or red tone. The color changes due to the fact that the baby’s urinary system is just beginning to adapt to new conditions, and such “interruptions” are normal.

Basic parameters of the norm

A healthy baby produces urine that is light yellow in color and without any odor. Urine begins to smell as you age. Normally the odor is faint. A sharp, distinct smell of urine indicates increased acetone, diabetes mellitus, or the presence of bacterial flora in the bladder.

Normal, but quickly returns to normal. Light, pink, yellow urine in a newborn should in any case be transparent. Turbidity can only appear if the biomaterial is stored for a long time. A newborn's urine without impurities is normal.

Examination of a child’s urine according to indicators

Every parent should be aware of the basic indicators provided by a urine test. The following table shows the main parameters by which urine is studied. A transcript of each of them is also attached.

Parameter	Norm	Deviation
Protein	Normally there is no protein or no more than 0.08	A large amount of protein indicates inflammatory reactions. Urination becomes painful, the boy or girl complains of general discomfort. The color of urine can be light, but it is always cloudy
Glucose	0	In the first days of life, the child may urinate urine with a high sugar content. But as you get older, your glucose levels should drop to zero.
Bilirubin	0	If a child has bilirubin in the urine, this indicator may indicate problems with the kidneys and urinary tract. The urine color may be clear or pink.
Ketone bodies (ammonia, acetone)	0	A high level indicates problems with metabolic status, indicating diabetes mellitus and liver pathologies
Leukocytes	No more than 5 in sight	The more leukocytes, the stronger the inflammatory process
Red blood cells	Not 2 in sight	Red blood cells in large numbers indicate poisoning with toxins, hyperthermia, or viral disease. Blood in urine can occur due to any infection
Cylindrical bodies	0	The presence of casts indicates an infection in the body

Video: How to easily collect urine for analysis from a child

What affects the color of urine

Urination and urine parameters return to normal only 10 days after birth. If a month-old baby has difficulty peeing, and his urine takes on an unusual color, you should pay attention to this. The table shows the main variations in urine color.

Urine shade	Probable Causes
Dark orange	High concentration of urine associated with moisture deficiency in the body. Orange blossom can be caused by too many carrots in the diet
Brown, green	Sign of obstructive jaundice or increasing hemolytic anemia
Red "dirty"	Indicates that there is blood in the urine. Causes: porphyria, hemolytic crisis. In older children - glomerulonephritis
Blue undertone	Indicates rot in the intestines
Black	Advanced hemolytic anemia, melanoma, melanosarcoma
Pink	The body contains phenolphthalein
Greenish	Pus turns urine of any basic shade green

Urine color and nutrition

Knowing what color and smell the baby’s urine is normal, each parent monitors his condition. However, it is the baby’s diet that can slightly adjust the main indicators.

Bright yellowish color of urine can occur in children who actively consume foods with dyes. This is typical for children older than 2 years. Pumpkin, carrots, beets, and currants give urine a specific yellowish tone. If these products are included in complementary foods, the baby is given juices, teas and decoctions with “natural dyes”, the urine may change its color. Yellow urine in a baby can only be because the child’s diet is not entirely correct.

Special reasons

A newborn's urine changes as the baby adapts to new living conditions. From the moment complementary foods are introduced, it will also change, due to the same adaptation mechanisms. At about 1 year old, the baby no longer depends on outside influences, and deviations indicate specific health problems.

The urine of a month-old and newborn baby may also change for the following reasons:

1. Fluid deficiency;
2. High physical activity;
3. Infections;
4. A large amount of a specific product in the diet (fish, carrots, beets, pumpkin, currants)
5. Pathologies causing swelling;
6. Liver pathologies (they may occur as the baby grows older, or the child may be born with the disease);
7. Viruses complicated by intense sweating;
8. Hemoglobin breakdown;
9. Kidney congestion;
10. Systemic pathologies (the entire body suffers from joints to muscle tissue);
11. Bladder abnormalities;
12. Hypervitaminosis (any vitamin in excess can change the color of urine, even banal ascorbic acid).

What should parents do?

If the urine has become an intense yellow color, you need to pay attention to the child’s menu and adjust his drinking regime. A doctor should be visited if the color has changed radically, and the smell of urine has become frankly unpleasant and very pronounced.

During the examination, the doctor will decide which tests to take. The standard set is a general blood and urine test, urine test for sugar and detailed biochemistry. Biological material is collected only in the morning.

Further treatment tactics and the prognosis for the future will depend on the diagnosis, the age of the child, and the individual characteristics of the baby. As a rule, correct timely treatment will allow the little patient to return to normal life.

Video: The best feeding regimen for a newborn

It is important for parents of a newborn to monitor the functioning of the baby's urinary system. An infant's urine, its smell, intensity, color and transparency provide important information about the child's general health. In addition, these indicators will help prevent the development of various diseases in the initial stages.

Interpretation of the color of urine in infants

The color of urine in infants has a variety of shades - from light yellow to red. Most often, during the first month of life, stools are light, almost transparent in color. In cases where there is a lack of fluid in the body, urine becomes more concentrated in color. Stools of this color irritate the baby’s delicate integument, as they contain a considerable amount of salts. If a baby experiences a sudden change in the color of urine and its transparency, parents should immediately seek help from a specialist.

Yellow urine in infants

The yellow color of urine comes from pigments – metabolic products.

The color of infant urine depends on age and diet. The older the child, the more saturated the color the stool takes. In addition, the color of urine is also affected by the foods the baby eats and medications that can change the color of urine. For example, yellow urine can change to bright red or orange if the baby eats beets and carrots. What color should urine be? For a healthy baby, the normal color of stool for several months is a light shade. Subsequently, the color changes and yellow urine is observed.

Dark yellow urine

Changes in the color of a newborn’s urine to dark yellow sometimes indicate the development of the following pathologies:

• increased concentration of bile pigments;
• dehydration (due to intestinal infection or stomach disorders);
• infectious diseases originating in the liver.

Orange urine

If your urine is orange in color, you should contact your pediatrician.

Cases where the urine is orange and bad indicate the following diseases:

• increased concentration of oxalate salts in urine;
• lack of fluid;
• elevated body temperature;
• diarrhea;
• vomiting.

Why does a newborn have clear urine?

Colorless urine in a one-month-old baby indicates the following:

1. Mom's consumption of foods that contain a large amount of liquid, for example, watermelons.
2. Drinking large amounts of liquid.
3. Diabetes insipidus.
4. Diabetes mellitus.
5. Kidney failure.
6. Use of diuretics.

What does the shade of urine in infants indicate?

Inflammatory processes in the body of recently born children occur very quickly and rapidly. The yellowish urine of a newborn, as it should be, sometimes becomes dark, bright or pink, which indicates the onset of various inflammations and infections that cause the development of more serious diseases.

Salts in urine

Salts in a child's urine can tell a lot about his health.

Salts that are observed in the feces of newborns indicate disturbances in the diet. Often with additional complementary feeding there are excess salts. Most often this happens when the mother gives the child meat and fish broths, eggs and other foods of animal origin. Diseases of the digestive system, such as ulcers, gastritis, and diseases of the biliary tract, also contribute to the appearance of salts in urine. These pathologies increase the concentration of salt in the stool, which is fraught with the appearance of sand, and subsequently - urolithiasis, which can become chronic. In cases where a child exhibits changes in the color and transparency of urine, it is important not to delay a visit to the doctor, since salts in the stool provoke such diseases.