Why do a urine test for a baby? How to collect urine from a baby using a urine bag?
- How to collect urine from a newborn girl?
- How to collect urine from a newborn boy?
How to take urine from a baby without a special urinal?
- Collecting urine in a regular bag
- Collecting urine in a jar
The birth of a person is the most remarkable event in the history of every family. But with the birth of a baby, parents have a lot of worries and troubles, because everyone wants their child to grow up to have a full and healthy life. It is for this purpose that from the very cradle it is necessary to examine the child for any abnormalities in health. Thus, a newborn is checked by a pediatrician, ENT doctor, cardiologist and other specialists while still in the maternity hospital, and urine, feces and blood tests are also collected for laboratory diagnostics.
What to use to collect urine from a newborn
There are many ways to collect urine from a child at home. All of them are time-tested, but there are three most common ones that make this task easier for many parents and do not create severe discomfort for the child.
First way. Urinal
Now pharmacies sell special urinals. They already come sterile and do not require much hassle when collecting urine. They look like a small bag with a hole in the top. For reliability, there are special Velcro strips on the urinal that are glued to the perineum and do not allow the urinal to move from its place. Velcro is completely hypoallergenic and does not cause irritation even on the most delicate skin.
How to properly collect urine using a urine bag
Before starting the procedure, the baby should be thoroughly washed using baby soap. The child is placed in a horizontal position, and a urine bag is attached between the legs. The entire procedure is carried out only in an upright position; if the baby cannot yet stand on his own, he should be held in his arms. For a quick effect, you can stand next to a tap and open water.
After collecting the analysis, the urine is poured into a prepared sterile jar. You should not attach a urine bag under the diaper ; the result of such collection will be an empty container and a full diaper.
Second way. Jar
This method is the most proven. To collect urine, a jar specially purchased at a pharmacy or any glass jar of baby puree that you have at home is suitable. The jar must be thoroughly washed, doused with boiling water and dried completely.
How to collect urine in a jar
The baby should be washed and laid on a clean oilcloth. The jar should be held in your hands, as soon as the child begins to write, the jar is placed under the stream and filled. In order not to scare the baby, you should not make sudden movements.
Thus, you can collect urine from a boy; a jar is not suitable for a girl.
For girls, a deep, clean and sterilized plate is used, which is placed under the butt. When the baby goes to the toilet, the plate is very carefully pulled out and the contents are poured into a sterilized jar.
Third way. Plastic bag
The package is the progenitor of the modern urinal, as it has the same principle of operation.
To collect the analysis, only a new plastic bag with handles is used. The arms are cut and tied on the child's legs. As a result, it looks like a homemade urine bag, which is located between the child’s legs.
When collecting the analysis, the baby must be in an upright position so that urine does not spill out of the bag. After collection, the bag is untied and the contents are poured into the prepared container.
Disadvantages of each method
Despite the ease and accessibility of each method, they have their drawbacks.
Urine collection method | Flaws |
Urinal | It is not always possible to collect urine the first time. |
Jar |
|
Plastic bag |
|
How to collect urine from a baby girl and boy?
Special urinal
A urine bag is a device for collecting urine. This simple device is essentially a sterile plastic bag with an anatomical cutout. There is Velcro around the opening of the urinal, with which the device is easily glued to the skin of the perineum. This design prevents liquid leakage and slipping.
When using a urinal bag correctly, the possibility of microorganisms from the external environment entering the urine is completely eliminated. The result of the analysis will be as reliable as possible.
There are universal urine bags that can be used by boys and girls. But it is better to choose a variation adapted for everyone.
How to collect urine from a girl using a urine bag?
The urinal designed for girls has an oval shape.
What should parents do to attach a urine bag?
- Wash your hands thoroughly with soap, wash and dry the child with a disposable towel.
- Place the girl on her back, spread her legs.
- Remove the protective covering from the Velcro of the urine bag.
- Position the opening of the reservoir against the labia majora so that the anus is out of the urine collection area.
- Once you are sure of the correct placement, press down the adhesive outline with a light movement.
- It is allowed to put on a diaper or fix the desired position of the urinal with a diaper.
- It is better to hold the baby in your arms during the test collection procedure to prevent displacement.
- Keep an eye on the tank filling. Thanks to the markings on the plastic bag, you can easily control the amount of liquid.
- Carefully remove the device and pour the test urine into a special container.
How to collect urine from a boy using a urine bag?
The shape of the reservoir opening in the urinal for boys is ovoid, pointed towards the bottom. When collecting the analysis, you need to be guided by the same points as for girls, only the method of attaching the reservoir is different.
To attach the urinal, you need to place the boy's genitals inside the reservoir, and attach the adhesive contour to the perineum.
Pros of a urinal
- Safety for the baby. The urine bag is made of modern materials that are not harmful to the baby’s delicate skin.
- Ease of use. Thanks to the adhesive surface, the reservoir adheres well to the baby's skin.
- Sterility. It is guaranteed by the manufacturer. When using a urinal bag correctly, it is almost impossible for microorganisms and feces to get into the urine.
- Product availability. A urine bag is sold at any pharmacy. The low price of the product allows you to take a few pieces “in reserve” in case of failure.
- With the advent of urinals, the procedure for collecting samples has ceased to be a headache for parents. This reliable and convenient device will help avoid unnecessary difficulties associated with urine collection.
Using a glass jar, plate, container for collecting urine
For the reliability of the analysis, it is best to use a sterile container purchased at a pharmacy. You can also take any glass jar or regular plate, which must first be prepared. The factory-made container is convenient for adults, but it is almost impossible to force a baby to pee in a small jar.
Some mothers manage to place a container purchased at the pharmacy in time and catch the boy’s stream. This method will not work for girls. To collect urine for a little girl, you need to place a warm plate under the baby’s bottom and wait for urination to occur. Then the collected liquid must be poured into a container for collecting samples.
Before collecting, the jar or plate should be washed and boiled. Only warm dishes should be placed under the baby’s bottom.
With a plastic bag
A common, but not the most correct way to collect urine.
The advantages of the method include low cost and practicality. Even if mom forgot to buy a container, the package is always at hand. A new bag is attached around the baby’s legs and awaits urination. Among the disadvantages is the possibility of obtaining an incorrect analysis result.
The method is unreliable and leads to errors in analyzes and repeated urine collections.
At what age does a child begin to control urination? In our country, it is customary to potty train early. When a child is six months old, he begins to learn to sit, and caring parents run for the potty. Some mothers achieve success, and the one-year-old baby often “goes” to the potty. But full control over urinary function is formed no earlier than two years of age.
"Harmful" advice
On the Internet you can find many methods, including “grandmother’s” ones, which modern mothers continue to actively use. Not all of them are good and can provide reliable results.
Not recommended:
- Pour liquid from the pot. It is almost impossible to sterilize a pot and make it completely sterile. As a result, doctors will find a large number of leukocytes in the analysis, which is a sign of infection, and parents and their child will have to spend a lot of time in hospitals and purchase expensive medications to treat a non-existent disease;
- Storing urine for more than 2 hours also negatively affects the reliability of the test result.
It is not recommended to use a plastic bag to collect urine; this method is called “unhygienic.” The question of how to collect urine from a one-year-old or three-month-old girl is not difficult - the main thing is to pay attention to hygiene and preparation. To make the process easier, you can buy a urinal bag at the pharmacy.
Tricks of experienced mothers, or how to easily collect urine from a baby?
It all depends on the age of the baby. The psychophysical development of a newborn and a one-year-old child is very different. You can try to “agree” with a one-year-old toddler, explain or play out the situation in a playful way.
When collecting urine from a newborn, one must be guided by knowledge of the physiological characteristics of children at this age.
How to collect urine from a newborn girl easily and quickly?
- Usually children at this age pee immediately after waking up, during or after feeding;
- to collect morning urine, you must not miss the moment when the baby wakes up;
- you need to unfasten the diaper and immediately glue the urinal;
- you can try to collect urine using a sterile plate, but this is more difficult;
- If the baby is unable to do her business, take the child in your arms, take her to the bathroom and turn on the water. The sound of rushing water will speed up urination;
- Perform a light massage on the abdomen, in the bladder area, or place a napkin moistened with warm water on the lower abdomen.
The same recommendations will help to collect urine from a three-month-old baby who does not yet know how to sit.
How to collect urine from a newborn boy?
Doctors recommend collecting an average portion of urine for accurate analysis. If for girls it is very difficult to collect an average portion, then for boys it will be possible if you put in some effort:
- Immediately after the boy wakes up, keep a container ready to collect urine. Try to “catch” the stream of urine with the container;
- If this method seems too complicated for you, don't despair. A urine bag will help collect the entire portion of morning urine. For children's analysis this is acceptable.
How to collect urine from a one-year-old girl?
Often babies from 9 months to a year know what a potty is and agree to sit on it after waking up. If this is a normal procedure for a girl, simply place a sterile enamel plate in the pot. When the baby finishes her business, carefully pour the contents of the plate into a special container.
You cannot take urine for analysis from the pot. No amount of cleaning agents or dousing with boiling water will make the pot sterile!
If the baby is not yet familiar with the potty, immediately after waking up, while the baby is lying down, place a sterile plate under the butt, massage the tummy and wait. Do not forget to put an oilcloth or diaper on the bed to prevent liquid leakage and not to wet the bed.
Collecting urine from a baby boy is a little easier. The structure of the genital organs of a toddler allows you to use any sterile container and collect even an average portion of urine. You just need to show a little patience and skill.
Regardless of the gender of the child, speak kindly and calm the little one, recite a poem or give the child a book or toy. Be confident in your actions, the baby will feel it.
Features of urine collection in a girl
Collecting urine from a girl is more difficult than from a boy. Before starting to collect the analysis, the child must be washed in the direction from the genitals to the butt , this will not allow bacteria to be introduced into the vagina. When washing, you need to be very careful, as the noise of the water can create urination. After washing the baby, wipe it dry with a towel or napkin.
Classic and modern method of collecting urine from girls:
- Classical. For this method, you will need a small deep saucer sterilized with boiling water, which is placed under the baby’s bottom. To speed up the process, you can stroke the baby's tummy clockwise. After collecting the analysis in a plate, it is poured into a jar, and the child is washed again, since with this method urine gets on delicate skin and can cause irritation.
- Modern. This method uses a urinal. When using this method, the child is washed and then laid horizontally. The urine bag is glued between the legs on the girl’s labia using an adhesive layer, and the child is placed in an upright position.
Collection using a urine bag
The simplest advice on how to collect urine from girls is to buy a urine bag. By going to any pharmacy, you can purchase such products. They are inexpensive and make the task much easier. It looks like a bag with Velcro that holds it on the crotch. Moreover, each gender has its own type - boys have one design of urinal, while girls have a different one.
An important recommendation regarding this purchase: buy several pieces at once. Firstly, since the baby is spinning, it may not be possible to attach this “device” as it should on the first try. This is not easy to do without experience. Secondly, you can never immediately determine whether a urine bag is intact or not. You can, of course, look at it more carefully, but no one can give a 100% guarantee - this is a question of the manufacturer’s honesty.
Basic Tips
They apply to both boys and girls. The question of how to properly test urine from a baby worries any parent who is faced with the need to collect material for research.
Some general tips:
- If you put a diaper on your child while sleeping at night, in the morning you just need to unfasten it so that the baby gets cold and immediately pees;
- You can give your baby water, but only if he is not fully breastfed. Otherwise, doctors do not recommend giving him anything else to drink until six months;
- Try taking your child into the bathroom and turning on the water so he can hear it. This is a good way to stimulate urination;
- Massage also helps - with a warm hand, lightly press on the lower abdomen.
For moms and dads of little princesses, there is another good method. Take a regular cotton pad and soak it in warm water (but not hot). Place the disc between the baby's legs.
The main thing is to know the rules for collecting urine from a newborn girl so that the analysis shows a reliable result.
More about urine collection
Urine collection methods
It is not advisable to take a urine test in the first few days after vaccination, or while taking medications, including antipyretic and analgesic medications.
Using a urine bag
Nowadays you can buy special disposable urine bags for girls at any pharmacy. Their main advantages:
- low price;
- sterility;
- preventing urine from spreading;
- the presence on the drive of a graduated scale in milliliters.
The only drawback of the urinal is that its use requires some skill. Before putting it on, the girl should be thoroughly washed with clean warm water. Remove the adhesive tape from the urinal and glue it to the skin of the pubis and inner thighs. After this, the girl should be picked up and held in an upright position to prevent possible leakage of urine. If the baby is nervous and cannot urinate for a long time, you can give her a drink of water.
It is advisable to check in advance with the doctor who gave the referral how much urine is needed for analysis. For general analysis, at least 5 ml will be required. After the required volume has been collected, the urine bag is carefully removed. Then, having cut a corner of the storage tank, the urine is carefully poured into a clean, dry container and delivered to the laboratory.
If parents have never used a urine bag before and are concerned about using it incorrectly, you can watch a video that shows the process in detail.
Using the package
In the absence of a urine bag, a new plastic bag can be used to collect urine in infant girls. It is cut on the sides and put on like a diaper, tying the ends at the hips. The baby should be held in your arms in an upright position. After urination, the bag is removed and the urine is poured into a clean jar.
A day before the analysis, fish, tomatoes, all brightly colored foods (beets, carrots), and citrus fruits should be excluded from the diet of the nursing mother and complementary feeding of the baby.
This method is only suitable for children in the first months of life. After six months, they become very active and easily tear off the package or tear it.
You can collect urine from a baby girl using a new plastic bag.
Stimulation of urination in an infant
To reduce the waiting time during urine collection, you can use several methods:
- During the night, you can offer your baby more liquid; if he is breastfed, then put him to the breast more often;
- Before you start collecting urine, you can expose the baby’s bottom - the influx of cool air will speed up the process and help provoke urination. The main thing is not to let the child freeze (no more than 7 minutes);
- You can open the water tap - the sound of water will help the baby tune in to the right mood;
- Try a light massage of the abdomen in a clockwise direction, the massage is done in the area where the bladder is located.
All these methods will help achieve the desired result in the shortest possible time, and most importantly, without unnecessary inconvenience and discomfort for the baby.
How to collect biomaterial from a baby using a plastic bag?
There is no limit to the ingenuity and resourcefulness of parents - it turns out that collecting urine for analysis can be done with an ordinary plastic bag: cheap, accessible, and effective. You need to take a “T-shirt” bag - with handles that are cut for convenient fixation of the bag on the child’s legs. The sides of the bag need to be cut slightly so that its shape vaguely resembles a diaper. This simple design is attached to the baby, after which they wait for the “miracle” to happen.
We recommend reading: Itchy fingers: signs of why the fingers on the right and left hands itch, interpretation by day of the week and time of day.
It is important that the baby remains in a horizontal position all this time. When the urine is collected in a bag, it must be poured into a sterile container and sent for analysis to the clinic.
How much do you need to collect?
When the child is still a newborn, it is very difficult for parents to carry out the urine collection procedure. And after the child gave the treasured 10 ml. urine, they joyfully carry them to the laboratory. But, unfortunately, not every laboratory accepts such a small amount of urine for analysis. Any pediatrician, along with issuing a referral for analysis, must explain how much urine needs to be brought.
According to Sulkovich - To take a urine test according to Sulkovich, you need to collect all the urine that is collected on an empty stomach in the early morning.
According to Nechiporenko - But when taking a urine test, you need at least 17 ml of collected fluid.
The limited framework was created for a reason, because urine analysis is always done in detail. Indicators such as urine specific gravity and some other health indicators are very difficult to obtain from a small amount of biological material.
How to properly collect urine from a girl or boy?
There are general rules for successful urine collection:
- You need to collect urine for general analysis in the morning. The composition of urine changes throughout the day. There are daily fluctuations in the composition associated with the phases of the child’s activity, fluid intake and food during the day;
- it is necessary to properly wash the child;
- it is important to use a sterile container for collecting urine;
- the analysis must be delivered to the laboratory quickly. It is unacceptable to store collected urine for more than 3 hours;
- It is better to store research material on the refrigerator door. Storing in a bright, warm or too cold place will distort the result.
Collection rules
It is important to clarify that a urine test can be performed in 3 ways:
- analysis according to Nechiporenko – traditional;
- according to Addis-Kakovsky - daily allowance;
- according to Sulkovich - determination of calcium.
Urine for the first and last procedures is collected in the same way. This must be done in the morning, the amount of biomaterial should be at least 5 ml.
With the collection of analysis according to Addis-Kakovsky, everything is not so simple. Urine should be collected within 24 hours, in one container. Then 200 gr. a well-mixed liquid is submitted for analysis. A one-year-old child may have difficulties collecting analysis for the following reasons:
- Since the baby pees almost every 30 minutes, keeping the baby on the changing table all day will be extremely difficult.
- It is also difficult to collect urine from a child using a bag. Especially if you don't have the skills. Therefore, you will have to experiment.
Another interesting point is that for adults there is a list of foods that should not be consumed before urine collection. This includes salty and peppery foods, seasonings, and pharmaceuticals. Beets and carrots are also prohibited because they can change the color of urine.
The same restrictions apply to newborns. Of course, the baby herself will not consume these products, but with breast milk she can get it in full. Therefore, before collecting urine from a child, the mother should abstain from the above foods in the evening. This also includes watermelons, melons and cucumbers. They have a diuretic effect, which means they can affect the composition of milk.
It is important to remember that urine changes composition quite quickly at warm temperatures. Especially in bacteriological terms.
Collection without special means
You have probably already noticed the peculiarities of the functioning of your baby’s intestines and kidneys. There should not be any problems with the regime, because from the very first days of being at home everything becomes clear - as a rule, emptying the bladder occurs almost immediately after eating, regardless of whether you are breastfeeding the baby or he eats from a bottle.
Within 10-15 minutes after the baby has eaten, you need to carefully observe her to understand how to collect urine. The girl is 3 months old, or even longer - up to 6 months, the arrangement of the organs is such that during the process of urination, you will see a small fountain above the horizontally lying body, but its height is enough to substitute a low container and collect urine.
As soon as the child begins to tense at least a little and it becomes noticeable that the baby wants to go to the toilet, you need to quickly and without unnecessary fuss (so as not to frighten the child), bring any suitable container to the place between the legs. Therefore, for mothers who do not use diapers for babies, this method is most convenient.
How to collect a urine test from a girl at 3 months is more clear than from a baby who is only a week old, since by this time the child is already holding his head confidently, and some especially quick ones even try to sit up. And if the baby sits up, then the scope for imagination is endless. Many resort to the help of strong dads. The father can carry the baby right on the potty for a long time, talking with the offspring, until the necessary action occurs, and then all that remains is to pour the contents of the sterile pot into a boiled container. Mom, of course, can also do this, but here there is a double benefit: the baby will talk to dad, and at this time the mother will either do household chores or simply relax.
What not to do
When collecting a urine test from a child, there are actions that cannot be performed:
- Urine should not be squeezed out of diapers or diapers, and urine should not be poured out of a potty; such an analysis will not give reliable results, since it contains fabric fibers and bacteria;
- Urine analysis is stored for a very short time, so collection is carried out only in the morning;
- Urine is not collected if the infant took antibiotics the day before;
- The collection container must be clean and completely sterile to prevent bacteria from entering the analysis.
Mistakes during urine collection in a girl infant
The most common mistakes made during urine collection for examination in infants of the first year of life are:
- Using diapers, diapers, and cotton wool to collect urine. Some parents place a piece of cotton wool between the daughter's labia majora, and then, after urinating, squeeze it into a jar. Others prefer to use a diaper or nappy for this purpose. In this case, tissue fibers, bacteria and other foreign impurities inevitably enter the urine.
- Failure to comply with the rules of hygiene of the external genitalia. Immediately before collecting urine for analysis, the girl must be thoroughly washed. Otherwise, bacteria from the anus and perineal skin will also be included in the sample.
- Late delivery of urine to the laboratory. Many parents, when visiting a doctor, ask the question of whether it is possible to collect urine in the evening and deliver it to the laboratory the next day in the morning. You can't do that. During long-term storage in urine, various bacteria begin to actively multiply, and its acid-base indicator changes.
All these errors reduce the reliability of the analysis results.
Urinal bag as a panacea for potential problems and inconveniences
To the great joy of parents, in order to successfully implement the material selection process, the industry of the relevant profile kindly provides the opportunity to use a special urinal bag.
What is this simple device? At its core, it is a sterile bag , equipped with a special Velcro, attached to the baby’s perineum. This design ensures the tightness and purity of the resulting material.
There are urinals designed only for girls and especially for boys. This is the best option in terms of comfort. But there are also universal devices aimed at representatives of both sexes.
The procedure for collecting material from girls is as follows. After thoroughly washing your hands, washing the child and removing any remaining moisture with a disposable towel, you should place the baby on his back and provide access to the child’s genitals. Having exposed the Velcro of the urinal, it is necessary to place it strictly in the area of the labia, excluding the anus area, and gently press it to the baby’s body.
The final fixation can be provided with a diaper or diaper. During urine collection, the child can be held in his arms to maintain a tight seal. The volume of liquid should be monitored using a special scale marked on the urinal reservoir.
We recommend reading: Methotrexate for psoriasis: instructions for use, analogues
After urination, the urinal bag is carefully separated from the baby’s skin, and the liquid is transferred to a special sterile container.
The specificity of collecting urine through this device in a boy lies only in the geometry of the opening of the urinal and the method of attaching this structure to the child’s body.
In this case, the genitals are placed inside the reservoir, and Velcro is attached to the baby’s perineum. Otherwise, all recommendations are exactly the same as in the previous paragraphs.
These products can be found in almost any pharmacy at very, very affordable prices.
Hygiene before urine test collection
Remember that cleanliness of the external genitalia is the key to an accurate urine test result.
Bacteria that accumulate on the skin with the material end up in the container, causing the laboratory technician to write an unreliable result.
However, a large number of bacteria in the urine, while other indicators are normal, almost always indicates poor hygiene before the test, and the doctor requires a urine retake.
How to wash a child?
Both girls and boys should be washed from front to back.
to prevent bacteria from the external opening of the rectum from reaching the external genitalia:
- We wash with warm water and a small amount of baby soap, which we then rinse well.
- We do not use herbal decoctions - they can cause allergic reactions.
How to collect urine from a newborn?
Usually there are no problems with an older child:
- If the child already understands that he needs to go to the toilet, we simply ask him to do it. It is advisable to carry out the procedure in a bathtub so that an average portion of urine can be collected in a container.
- We put the baby in the bath and turn on the water. The baby will react to the pouring liquid by urinating.
- You can give water during the process so that the child urinates faster.
- If possible, turn on the sounds of running water on your computer or phone.
- You can provoke urination by placing the child’s palm in a bowl of warm water.
How to collect urine from a small child?
You can buy special urine bags at the pharmacy - they are glued to the skin around the external genitalia, and urine is collected in a sterile container:
- If you don’t have a urinal, you can patiently wait with a jar in your hands for the next urination, but this method only works with babies 1-2 months old: more active children will not lie still!
- Another option is a thick, sterile disposable bag, but this method is only suitable for boys.
- For girls, the option for collecting urine is a shallow plate or saucer, but if possible, you should still use a sterile disposable urine bag.
How much urine is needed for analysis?
The minimum amount of material is 50 ml.
For newborns, at least 20 ml is usually sufficient.
A smaller amount of urine will not allow you to determine all the parameters that a general urine test usually requires.
Using a rubber circle
The rubber circle is washed, wiped dry and wrapped in a diaper. A clean deep plate is placed in its center. The girl is washed and each of her legs is wrapped in a separate diaper. Then she is laid on a circle and covered with a diaper or blanket, depending on the air temperature in the room. Adults must be near the baby and watch her.
This method of urine collection is most convenient for girls 1–3 months of age; its use in older children is difficult due to their significant mobility and reluctance to lie quietly in one position.