Not drinking enough water is probably the most common reason for smelly urine. Urine is a combination of water and waste products. If your child is dehydrated, their urine is made up of more waste products than water which can make the urine have a stronger odor.
See a GP if: You have smelly pee and: you need to pee suddenly, more often than usual, or during the night. you have pain or a burning sensation when peeing.
The main causes of this strong smell are Bladder Stones, Dehydration, Food and UTI's. Urine that smells of ammonia on occasion is not a reason to worry, especially if you notice it improves with daily fluid intake. However, if you notice your child or newborns urine continues to smell it could be a sign of infection.
Make a solution of baking soda, peroxide and any dish detergent. The combination of the three is often powerful enough to drive away strong urine smells.
Occasionally it can refer to a musty smell or overtly sweet-smelling urine, both of which should prompt immediate consultation with your pediatrician. As previously noted, the most frequent cause of foul-smelling urine that should prompt evaluation by a medical professional is a UTI.
How Do Kids Get UTIs? It happens when bacteria from their skin or poop get into the urinary tract and multiply. These nasty germs can cause infections anywhere in the urinary tract, which is made up of the: Kidneys, which filter wastes and extra water out of the blood to make urine.
What Does Diabetic Urine Smell Like? One warning sign of diabetes or high blood sugar is urine that smells sweet or fruity. The sweetness comes from sugar in your urine and is a sign your body is trying to get rid of extra sugar in your blood.
Pee that smells like ammonia
If you detect a hint of ammonia in your urine, it could be a sign of a urinary tract infection (UTI). The odor suggests that bacteria may be swimming around in your urinary system, most likely in your urethra, kidneys or bladder.
Asymptomatic bacteriuria (ABU) This means that bacteria are growing in the child's urine, which might make their urine smelly or cloudy, but they're not producing any other symptoms. People with normal urinary tracts sometimes get ABU, but it's more common in people with any kind of problem with the urinary tract.
What's the treatment for UTIs in children? Treating a urinary tract infection requires antibiotics that can either be delivered intravenously (through a needle into your child's veins) or orally (they swallow the pills or liquid). Their healthcare provider may also prescribe medications for their fever and/or pain.
Dehydration. Not drinking enough water is probably the most common reason for smelly urine. Urine is a combination of water and waste products. If your child is dehydrated, their urine is made up of more waste products than water which can make the urine have a stronger odor.
Urine that has an unusual smell may be a sign of diabetes, an infection, eating asparagus, or using certain medications, among other causes. Often, drinking more water will clear the odor. Urine often has a slight ammonia smell, especially first thing in the morning or when a person is dehydrated.
Kidney disease causes chemicals in urine to become concentrated and to cause a smell resembling ammonia. Kidney dysfunction can also cause high bacteria and protein levels in the urine, which will contribute to a foul ammonia smell.
With advanced diabetes, sugar and ketones, which are normally absent, can accumulate in the urine and create a strong odor.
Foul-smelling urine may be due to bacteria. Sweet-smelling urine may be a sign of uncontrolled diabetes or a rare disease of metabolism. Liver disease and certain metabolic disorders may cause musty-smelling urine.
Transparent and lacking in color
Transparent, colorless urine could also be a sign of some other health disorders, including diabetes and kidney disease, or from taking diuretic medication.
Here are some signs of a UTI: Pain, burning, or a stinging feeling when urinating. Urinating often or feeling an urgent need to urinate, even without passing urine. Foul-smelling urine that may look cloudy or have blood in it.
A UTI is not common in children younger than age 5. A UTI is much more common in girls because they have a shorter urethra. A UTI is unlikely in boys of any age, unless part of the urinary tract is blocked. Uncircumcised boys are more at risk for a UTI than circumcised boys.
Young children with UTIs may have a fever, poor appetite, vomiting, or no symptoms at all.
You can buy a home urinary tract infection (UTI) test kit. They are available without a prescription at a drugstore or online. The home test kit contains specially treated test strips. You hold them in your urine stream or dip them in a sample of your urine.
“When the infection penetrates the kidney, inflammation can lead to high fevers and renal damage. Recurrent or untreated UTI's could also lead to kidney damage. The younger the child, the more at risk they are for damage.”
Unusual odor of the urine is not helpful in predicting UTI. Other conditions may mimic UTI symptoms. Acute urethritis or vulvovaginitis may be caused by various types of irritants, including chemical (e.g., bubble baths, soaps), physical (e.g., self-exploration), and biologic (e.g., pinworms).