Kidney Reflux: A basic 101 for mamas

Basically, the valves on Hs ureters don’t function correctly, so instead of the door closing on urine that flows from the kidneys to the bladder, urine back flushes into the kidneys. This reflux of urine creates a breeding ground for kidney infections and when undetected or untreated, these infections could lead to kidney damage and/or scarring over time. The ultrasound checks for kidney damage and establishes a baseline for how her kidneys look. Lower grades involve urine that only refluxes to the ureters, and in higher stages the urine refluxes all the way to the kidneys.

Key Takeaways:

• The key to treatment is to keep the child infection free, and this is usually achieved through a daily low-dose of antibiotics to prevent infection.
• There is also some research to show that probiotics are effective in the prevention of urinary tract infections.
• We also do all the things that are a safeguard against UTIs in general, like limiting bathtub time and using fragrance-free soap, and changing a wet soggy baby out of a swimsuit as quickly as possible.

“Cases of VUR that don’t resolve on their own are typically corrected with a minor surgery that re-implants the ureter(s), and as long as we can keep infections under control, the surgery will not be done until she is bigger.”

http://www.hellobee.com/2017/01/26/kidney-reflux-a-basic-101-for-mamas/