Finding blood in a baby’s urine can be scary! While blood in a newborn baby’s urine (or actually not blood, but something that resembles blood) can be normal and you can read more about that here, if an older baby is peeing blood, this does indicate that something is not quite right. (Blood in a baby’s urine should always be checked.)
Mom’s Question:
My 10 months old baby is urinating blood. I took him to the doctor and they did a urine test and a blood test… but we’re waiting for the results right now… Can anyone help me ease my anxiety? I need to know what can be wrong.
A week ago he had diarrhea and vomited… Fever at times and loss of appetite… but my husband and I got the gastro so we thought he had the gastro too… Now I see blood in the urine and freaking out…
Maria
Easy Baby Life:
Reasons for Blood in Baby’s Urine
Possible Reasons When a Baby is Urinating Blood
The medical term for blood in urine is hematuria. Blood in the urine comes from some part of the urinary tract; from the kidneys all the way down to the urethra, and it is important to find out what is causing the bleeding. You did completely right to take your baby to the doctor and have the tests run.
A Urinary Tract Infection or Kidney Issues
In babies, a urinary tract infection can be the reason for blood in the urine, but there may be other reasons too, such as problems with the kidneys, some blockage, or from taking antibiotics.
Dehydration or Injury
Prolonged dehydration may sometimes also lead to blood in the urine, but this is not likely to be relevant for your baby. Dehydration will also make the urine darker.
Groin injuries can also lead to blood in a baby’s urine, and being 10 months old, this could be possible, but in such a case, the bleeding should be minor unless there is pain and an obvious wound.
You should know, however, that quite often no reason can be found, and all serious underlying reasons are ruled out.
Since there are many reasons for blood in a baby’s urine, doctors do exactly what your baby’s doctor is doing right now; running a number of tests to find out the cause. In addition to blood and urine tests, ultrasound examination or x-rays may be proposed.
What Does Blood in Baby Urine Look Like and What Does it Mean?
The color of the blood indicates where the blood is coming from.
Pink or red blood usually derives from the lower urinary tract (the bladder or urethra), while brown, tea- or cola-colored blood is more likely to derive from the kidneys.
Often when it comes to babies, a parent may notice blood in the diaper without knowing exactly where it came from.
Newborn babies, for example, often have pink stains in their urine during their first few days of living; something that often scares the parents. However, in this case, the pink stains are not blood, but urate crystals. Completely normal in newborn babies. You can read more about newborn baby urine habits here.
Newborn female babies may also have a mini-period; affected by their mom’s hormones. Newborn boys may have surface bleeding from a circumcision.
The blood can also come from the rectum, from a small crack for example. To learn more about blood in a baby’s poop, read here.
What to Do?
First of all, you did exactly the right thing when you took your baby to the doctor. While blood in a baby’s urine doesn’t have to be serious, as pointed out above, it should certainly to sorted out.
In any case, while waiting for test results can be pure torture, there isn’t much point in speculating about what may be causing the blood in your baby’s urine. If your baby seems overall healthy, is wetting his diapers just as usual, and is in no pain, chances are that the test results will come out completely normal and you will never really know what caused the bleeding.
The best thing you can do in the meantime is to try to relax and focus on how lovely your little boy is. Worrying and imagining the worst is not going to help him or yourself at all. He will be picking up on your anxiety. You are far better to fill your days with love and fun activities and focus on what you do have control over until the results are in.
All the best,
Paula
References
- Hematuria – Boston Children’s Hospital
- Urinary tract infections in infants and children: Diagnosis and management
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Paula Dennholt founded Easy Baby Life in 2006 and has been a passionate parenting and pregnancy writer since then. Her parenting approach and writing are based on studies in cognitive-behavioral models and therapy for children and her experience as a mother and stepmother. Life as a parent has convinced her of how crucial it is to put relationships before rules. She strongly believes in positive parenting and a science-based approach.
Paula cooperates with a team of pediatricians who assist in reviewing and writing articles.
