FAQs

Below are some commonly asked questions we receive from parents regarding pediatric urology.  If you have a question which is not answered here, please ask Dr. Houston in person, or call 312.632.0032.

• What is a Pediatric Urologist?
• What types of treatments do pediatric urologists provide?
• What causes nighttime incontinence (bedwetting)?
• What are the symptoms of a urinary tract infection?

What is a Pediatric Urologist?

Pediatric urologists are doctors who devote a minimum of 50% of their practice to the urologic problems of infants, children, and adolescents.  Pediatric urologists are surgeons who can diagnose, treat and manage children's urinary and genital problems.

Dr. Houston practices 100% Pediatric Urology.

What types of treatments do pediatric urologists provide?

Pediatric urologists generally provide the following services:

• urinary tract infections (kidneys, ureters and bladder) that require surgery
• genital abnormalities
• surgery for groin conditions in childhood & adolescence, such as undescended testes, hernia, and varicocele

What causes nighttime incontinence (bedwetting)?

Nighttime bed-wetting, called enuresis, is normal and very common among preschoolers. It affects about 40% of three year olds.  The main cause of bed wetting is an undeveloped bladder to hold urine for a full night, or the child is not yet able to recognize when his bladder is full, wake up, and use the toilet.

After age 5, wetting at night--often called bedwetting or sleepwetting--is more common than daytime wetting in boys. Experts do not know what causes nighttime incontinence. Young people who experience nighttime wetting are usually physically and emotionally normal. Most cases probably result from a mix of factors including slower physical development, an overproduction of urine at night, a lack of ability to recognize bladder filling when asleep, and, infrequently, anxiety. For many, there is a strong family history of bedwetting, suggesting an inherited factor.

What are the symptoms of a urinary tract infection?

A urinary tract infection causes irritation of the lining of the bladder, urethra, ureters, and kidneys, just like the inside of the nose or the throat becomes irritated with a cold. If your child is an infant or is only a few years old, the signs of a urinary tract infection may not be clear, since children that young cannot tell you just how they feel. Your child may have a high fever, be irritable, or not eat.

On the other hand, sometimes a child may have only a low-grade fever, experience nausea and vomiting, or just not seem healthy. The diaper urine may have an unusual smell. If your child has a high temperature and appears sick for more than a day without signs of a runny nose or other obvious cause for discomfort, he or she may need to be checked for a bladder infection.