Many parents worry when a child develops dark urine. This can tell that the baby is sick or vice versa - absolutely nothing. In other words, normal urine can be of a different shade - from colorless to brownish-orange. If a child drinks fluids a lot during the day, then his discharge may have a less pronounced color. Also, a shade of urine is affected by some products - carrots, beets or blueberries. Many medications can change the color and smell of secretions.
Why does dark urine occur in a child? For many reasons, but analysis is still necessary if:
- urine of a dark color is accompanied by a high temperature;
- there are abdominal pains;
painful urination.
Dark urine can lead to kidney disease or pyelonephritis. Both that and other illness needs treatment and competent consultation. A urinalysis will show the presence or absence of the disease. If there are a lot of leukocytes, then the child has pyelonephritis or cystitis, and if there is an increased amount of protein and red blood cells, then this indicates glomerulonephritis. If necessary, the attending pediatrician should prescribe other studies - ultrasound, biochemical blood analysis, urinalysis according to Nechiporenko and culture. After that, you can give an exact answer regarding the alleged disease and the degree of inflammation.
If the urine is dark in color with a smell, then parents should certainly consult a doctor. Such a symptom may indicate that the baby has an urinary tract infection.
For the correct analysis, you must adhere to the following rules:
- before giving urine, it is necessary to wash the child;
- you need to collect the analysis only in sterilized dishes, cleaned and scalded with boiling water;
- urine should be collected from the "middle stream", that is, it is not advisable to take the last and first portion;
- analysis should be collected in the morning, before visiting the laboratory.
If the urine is dark in color, but the baby feels great, do not worry, perhaps he needs to take more fluid. A little unclear discharge also does not speak about the reasons for panic. It is worth contacting specialists - a nephrologist and endocrinologist if a large amount of protein and sugar is present in the analyzes. The result of the study depends on what the baby ate the day before. If meat prevailed in his diet, then acidity would be low, and if milk, then it would increase. The analysis can show the presence of ketone bodies, they appear in severe infections, during vomiting and high fever. There are times when a healthy child has body data, in which case you should consult an endocrinologist to avoid the occurrence of serious illnesses.
The level of leukocytes and red blood cells is the most important result, which can either exclude or confirm many diseases. If there are a lot of leukocytes, then this indicates an inflammatory process, or the parents simply collected urine incorrectly. A large number of red blood cells indicates kidney disease. The normal number of white blood cells is up to 5, and red blood cells up to 2.
Also, a large amount of mucus testifies to improper urine collection. The presence of bacteria can indicate an inflammatory process in the bladder or kidneys.
Thus, it is necessary to take into account all the testimonies of the tests, which the parents themselves can now decrypt. Do not drag out if the child has dark urine for a long time, this indicates a disease that is hidden in the baby. In any case, if the analysis shows a disease of the kidneys or urinary tract, the specialist will prescribe the proper treatment and diet, during which it will be necessary to exclude spices, salt and spices. In addition, the doctor can prescribe a special physiotherapy exercises, which can be carried out either lying down or sitting, depending on how the baby feels.