Many parents can sense when their children are not feeling well. It's not uncommon that they will report that their kids have "smelly urine." They usually think this indicates a urinary tract infection (UTI). To test this idea, Doctors at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in England conducted a study.
The parents of 110 children admitted to the hospital were asked if their children's urine had a different or particular odor. Urine specimens from all the children were microscopically examined and cultured, looking for any signs of an infection or other problems. Over half the parents thought their children's urine smelled differently or had an unusual odor.
Only 6.4% of all the children were found to have a urine infection or other urinary tract problem.
They conclude, "In determining whether a young child has a UTI, asking parents about urine smell is unlikely to be of benefit."
Archives of Diseases in Childhood, 03/03
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