PREVALENCE OF BACTERIURIA IN INFANTS AND PRESCHOOL CHILDREN

1035 apparently healthy infants and preschool children attending Leeds child-health clinics were screened for bacteriuria using micropipette colony-counts. Positive and doubtful cases were tested by suprapubic aspiration of the bladder: follow-up was complete. Only 1 boy out of 528 under five years of age had bacteriuria, a prevalence of 0·2%; but there were 4 cases among 507 girls, a prevalence of 0·8%. 3 of the 4 girls had radiological abnormalities. Half the children in the survey were in the first year of life when uncontaminated samples were often difficult to obtain, and repeat tests and bladder aspirations were frequently needed. Testing older children was much less troublesome, and it revealed 3 cases of bacteriuria out of 256 girls aged between one and five years. Screening for bacteriuria of preschool girls, old enough to void urine on request, warrants further study.