BABY AND CHILDHOOD URINARY TRACT DISORDERS: HOW THE URINARY SYSTEM WORKS

Posted in General health on May 8th, 2009

The kidneys and bladder and its intricate system of tubes (many of them microscopic) form a very valuable filtering system for the body.

During its journey around the body, all blood regularly pays a visit to the kidneys. There it is filtered in a rapid and wondrous manner through the renal network. Impurities the body wishes to eliminate are rapidly shed. If the blood is overloaded with certain products it has no use for, these are also tossed out by the kidneys. The balance of chemicals, hormones and minerals needed by the body is kept normal by the balancing-out capacity of the kidneys.

Chemicals are filtered out in a fluid form, and collected in the central part of the kidneys. From there they are channelled by tubes, called ureters, which lead to the bladder. There the fluid is stored until a convenient time, when it is voided by another single tube called the urethra.

There is an important outlet valve at the lower end of the bladder. It takes babies many months before they have complete control over this valve. But eventually each one succeeds and is then capable of passing urine at a suitable time and place.

Some children do not gain this control for some years, and continue to pass their urine at night. Bed-wetting is an embarrassing problem, but in most cases it overcomes itself and it is uncommon after the age of 12 years. But it sometimes persists into the late teens or twenties, when it may become a social embarrassment. Treatment today is usually successful.

The kidney is probably the most common organ of the body to suffer from congenital malformations, though these are fortunately not frequent. Sometimes cysts, occasionally many in number, may damage the kidney structure. In other cases structural abnormalities may occur. Some of these are apparent from an early age and will be automatically cared for by doctors soon after birth.

Infections of the bladder and lower tracts of the urinary system are common. These usually respond well to prompt treatment.

More seriously, the kidneys may be affected by an infection that takes place in some other part of the body. This is believed to be an allergic type of reaction and it may produce serious symptoms.

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