Clinical analysis of urine is a fairly simple method of examination, but at the same time it informatively shows the state of the organism and the presence of pathological conditions. Including the detection of leukocytes in the urine of a baby can significantly help in diagnosis.
Normative values
The norm of leukocytes in the urine of a baby varies somewhat depending on the sex. So, for example, in girls it is up to 8-10 cells in the field of vision, and in boys up to 5-7 cells. This difference is due to the anatomical structure of the urogenital system. In girls, because of the proximity of the vagina and the entrance to the urethra, the detection of these cells is more frequent, since in this case the probability of getting the cells into the urine together with the vaginal secretions rather than from the urinary system is high.
It should be noted that the more leukocytes in the baby are released during urination, the more active and sharper the inflammatory process. In this case, the transparency of urine decreases, it becomes cloudy, acquires a more pronounced sediment.
Causes of appearance and enhancement
The causes of the appearance of leukocytes in the urine of the infants are infections. In response to a foreign microorganism, protective systems are activated, one of which is inflammatory cells. They are capable of neutralizing, destroying and absorbing pathogenic bacteria and, thus, destroying the pathogen of inflammation. Therefore, the detection of leukocytes in the urine of a baby can be evidence of the following diseases:
- Infectious-inflammatory process of the urinary tract (urethritis, cystitis).
- Pyelonephritis.
- Inflammatory process of external genital organs ( vulvovaginitis in girls ).
- Stagnant phenomena due to abnormalities in the structure of the urinary tract, reflux.
Incorrect collection of material and non-compliance with child hygiene. For example, they forgot to wash or did not perform this hygienic procedure before taking the material for analysis. In this item, the presence of diaper rash should be attributed.
The error in the analysis and the inaccuracy of the result can be with insufficient amount of collected material for research. To clarify the diagnosis for the detected elevated leukocytes in the urine, the infant receives an analysis of Nechiporenko. It is more reliable and shows the number of leukocytes in 1 ml. It is this laboratory test method that will help confirm or deny the presence of infection. And to identify the causative agent of inflammation, sowing is carried out on nutrient media.