How often a child needs to pass urine to prevent urinary infection?
In the movie “3 idiots” one scene involves Rancho punishing his senior for ragging. He
will connect a spoon to an electric wire and place it strategically so that the senior
guy will get a shock of his life when he relieves himself in that spot.
But if you ask me whether the bugs can travel up a stream of urine as fast as
electricity does, my answer would be no. In fact harbouring a urine infection from a
toilet seat is very remote.
So kids should be encouraged to promptly use the two breaks during school for relieving
themselves. Parents should be aware that holding urine for more than 6-8 hours of school
makes their kid more prone for urine infection due to stagnation, than using the so
called “dirty loo”.
The normal frequency of urination is twice before school, twice at school and 3-4 times
after school totalling 7-8 times per day. If your child goes only 3 times a day it is
far too less and they are at higher risk of urine infection. If the child goes above 10
times may be there is already a urine infection and the urine may need to be tested.
Parents and Schools should be aware of this important issue. No school should discourage
a child taking a toilet break.
Professor Dr Ramesh Babu FRCS ( UK)
Paediatric Urologist
Rio children and Maternity Hospital Madurai
