Pediatric Urology

Expert Pediatric Urology Care for Your Child

Experience expert pediatric urology care designed specifically for your child with CHRISTUS Health. Whether you’re addressing a common urinary concern or a more complex condition, you can trust that your child will receive compassionate, personalized care. With advanced treatments and minimally invasive options, your child’s health, comfort, and confidence come first. Wherever you are, you have a dedicated team ready to support your family every step of the way.

Types of Pediatric Urology Issues

Some common urologic issues affecting children include:

bladder exstrophy, when the bladder develops outside the abdomen
dysuria, or painful urination
enuresis, which is bedwetting and other bladder control problems
hematuria, or blood in the urine
hernia, when the intestine or other organ pushes through an opening in surrounding muscle or tissue
hypospadias, an underdeveloped urethra
kidney stones
neonatal hydronephrosis, an enlargement in newborns of the part of the kidney where urine collects
obstruction of the pelviureteric junction, a blockage where the kidney connects to the ureter
overactive bladder
phimosis, a recurrent infection in some boys who aren’t circumcised
retractile testis, where the testicle moves between the groin and scrotum
recurrent UTIs
undescended testis, or testicles that have not dropped into the scrotum
urologic cancers such as Wilms tumor or rhabdomyosarcoma of the bladder
varicocele, swelling of veins in the scrotum
vesicoureteral reflux, abnormal flow of urine from the bladder back up the ureters toward the kidneys
voiding dysfunction

Causes of Pediatric Urology Issues

Pediatric urologic conditions may be congenital, present at birth, or acquired, which means they develop at some point during childhood. The exact cause may be unknown or may occur for a wide variety of reasons such as:

birth defects such as spina bifida and other structural problems in the urinary tract
conditions such as diabetes or obstructive sleep apnea
genetic factors
infections
injuries
lifestyle factors such as stress and anxiety
medical conditions that affect growth and development

Signs and Symptoms of Pediatric Urology Issues

Symptoms vary depending on the specific urologic condition, but may include:

abdominal swelling
bloody or cloudy urine
fever
high blood pressure
loss of appetite
shortness of breath
urinary incontinence, a loss of bladder control

How Are Pediatric Urology Issues Diagnosed?

In addition to physical examinations, reviews of medical history and discussions of symptoms, diagnostic tests for pediatric urological disorders may include:

blood and urine laboratory tests
imaging studies such as ultrasound, CT scan, magnetic resonance urography and voiding cystourethrogram to look for anomalies, evaluate urinary organ function and measure urine flow