By SITEMBILE SIWAWA
MINISTRY of Health (MOH) says older
female children are more prone to urinary tract infections (UTIs) than their
male counterparts because of differences in body structures.
Technical Services
Support deputy director Tasila Pitters said female children have shorter urethras
near their anal area which makes it easy for infections to be passed from this
area to the urethra and upwards to the bladder and kidneys.
Dr Pitters said UTIs
are also most common in uncircumcised male babies under the age of three months,
followed by females less than one year.
She said parents must take note if a
child has fever or vomits, sleeps more often than usual, shows signs of
jaundice, while in older children loss of bladder control may be signs of UTIs.
She also said that home remedies such as giving fluids like water and continued
breastfeeding can be of help especially to mothers in the rural areas as the
fluids assist in cleansing the urinary tract infection.
Dr Pitters said the
Ministry of Health has in the last two years recorded about 4,244 cases of
children less than one year having UTIs and those above one year was at 14,149
and five deaths were recorded in both instances.
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