Is the urine flow of my child normal?
Professor of Urology, Director Clinical Research,
Henry Ford Hospital,
Detroit, USA
Q: My son is 2 years old and had a problem in his kidney. For the last one year we have noticed that his urine flow is low (but he is passing urine every day 2 to 3 times). After urination, his post-void residual volume varies from 8 ml to 20 ml and his bladder is not completely emptying. Is it necessary that the bladder should completely empty after urination? What kind of treatment and precautions do we have to follow to solve his problem?
A:Well I notice with curiosity in the history of your son that he has/had imperforate anus. I do not know whether he has been treated for the same or not. It is likely that his bladder may have some neuronal problem. I would not like you to be anxious and any one meddling with the urinary tract of a 2 year old. Best course would be to keep him under the care of a well trained urologist and monitor his urinary tract with periodic urine cultures/residual urine (which is not significant now) and ultrasounds/if need be renal DTPA scan. No radiological studies until one of the above investigations justify. If his urinary problem continues, then he could be supported with appropriate medicines, which a urologist could decide. At a latter date (about 5 years) one may like to study his bladder function through urodynamics.