What are salts in urine
The natural functions of an organ such as the kidneys are blood purification and urine production to remove waste products. Urine is a mixture of nitrogen, uric acid, carbon, fluids and salt. The acid-base balance depends on the latter. When it deviates from the norm, the formation of crystals in the urine begins.
These crystals are mostly eliminated from the body. Over time, they begin to settle on the walls of the urinary tract and kidneys. The more time passes, the denser the plaque becomes. Urolithiasis begins. This disease remains for life, periodically exacerbating and causing discomfort. This is why it is so important to monitor the salt concentration.
Identifying the problem
Metabolic disorders lead to the formation of various deposits. Mainly these are:
- Oxalates. Solid components formed in internal organs, most often in the kidneys.
- Alkaline compounds. They become the cause of problems of the musculoskeletal system, forming in the joints and spinal column.
- Urate deposits. Uric acid salts affect the lower extremities. This is manifested by swelling of the legs, the formation of lumps, pain and progression of arthritis.
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To identify an excess of sodium chloride in the body, it is not necessary to resort to laboratory tests. It is possible to carry out the analysis on your own at home. To do this, you need to collect morning urine in a transparent container and keep it for 24 hours in a dark place. The resulting precipitate should be examined:
- white sediment signals the deposition of carbonates in the body;
- bright crystals indicate the presence of phosphates in the urine;
- the red tint of the crystals indicates the presence of urates;
- a gray tint indicates the likelihood of the presence of urates.
Causes of salt accumulation in infants
Oxalates in the urine of a child under one year of age—causes of occurrence, calcium levels
Each type of salt increases for some reason. This gives the doctor the opportunity to assume a particular diagnosis.
Oxalates
Elevated oxalate levels in infants are quite rare. Their concentration can be increased in active children, as well as when they absorb large amounts of vitamin C, both in food (this is not only citrus fruits, but also sorrel, chocolate, sour apples or sauerkraut), and medicinally (as part of drugs or dietary supplements).
Also, an increased level of oxalate salts in a child’s urine test can indicate a number of health problems. In particular, this is a symptom of pyelonephritis, colitis, intestinal inflammation, ethyl glycol poisoning, deficiency of vitamins B, A, E, and oxalic acid metabolic disorders. Her intestines absorb intensely, and the breakdown product (salt) enters the urine.
Calcium oxalate crystals under a microscope
Sodium oxalate grains are white and quite hard to the touch. They damage the walls of the urinary tract more than others, which can cause pain for the baby. A urine test shows the presence of red blood cells (RBCs). In addition, these crystals harm the baby's kidneys.
Urats
They may be a sign that the child is eating too many purine bases. They are found in large quantities in beans, meat (and broth), sprats, and chocolate. Also, the reason for the appearance of these salts in the urine of a child may be heavy physical activity.
In addition, this indicator is observed in febrile conditions, leukemia, and diathesis. Also, urates “creep” upward in case of dehydration of the body (for example, with vomiting and diarrhea due to poisoning, excessive sweating due to the heat in summer, etc.).
The “color” of this pathology is brick-red. It is this sediment in the urine that appears when the urate content is high. This problem is often accompanied by vomiting and abdominal pain. Patients most often have problems with the nervous system: overly emotional, hyperactive, irritable.
Phosphates
When the acidity of urine decreases, phosphates may appear in it. Moreover, even in a healthy child, if he ate fish, buckwheat porridge, or drank milk.
Phosphates also increase in diseases such as cystitis, fever, Fanconi syndrome, and other infections. Moreover, this type of pathology can be either acquired or hereditary (interestingly, it is more often transmitted through the maternal line). The symptoms of the disease are very similar to rickets, but a urine test will indicate this disease.
Calcium phosphate in urine under a microscope
Important! As a rule, it is recommended to retake an analysis with an increased level of salts in children’s urine in order to be confident in its data. Before this, be sure to follow a diet, avoid too many foods that can affect the chemical composition of urine, and also do not overload the child.
Dependence on the type of feeding
In healthy newborns during breastfeeding and IV, salts in the urine may also increase:
- When breastfeeding, what the mother ate plays a big role (for example, if the parent’s diet contains foods high in salt).
- When artificially feeding a newborn, the composition of the formula plays an important role. Perhaps because of it, the analysis shows an increased salt balance.
In any case, no matter how the newborn eats, an analysis showing a deviation from the norm may also indicate illness. Therefore, you should not neglect consulting a pediatrician.
Possible symptoms
Why might a child under one year old have bad urine?
The first thing that should alert parents is that their child’s urine becomes cloudy. On the one hand, this indicates good functioning of the kidneys: plaque will not form in them, it is completely eliminated from the body. On the other hand, salts precipitate in the child’s bladder.
On the left is an example of cloudy urine, on the right is normal
Moreover, if such a symptom occurs only once, this is not yet a cause for concern. A one-time increase in salt levels can also occur in a healthy newborn. If a similar problem occurs, you often need to consult a doctor.
The child may experience pain both during and after urination. Moreover, exactly where and why the stomach hurts is very difficult to immediately determine. In some cases, the temperature rises and the child becomes more capricious.
Diagnostic methods
The only way to know for sure whether everything is okay with the child is to take a urine test. To do this, the morning portion is usually collected after washing into a special sterile jar.
Note! If a baby needs to be tested, it is very difficult to get him to pee in a prepared container. It’s easier to do this with boys, but much more difficult with girls.
To facilitate the collection of material, you need to buy a children's urinal. This is a bag with a slot on a safe adhesive base. It is glued to the child's genitals so that urine gets inside it. Diapers or panties are put on top, and after a while the bag is checked. The inside of the urine bag is sterile, that is, straight from it, after cutting the edge, the liquid is poured into a jar for analysis.
Children's urinal
On the recommendation of a doctor, after laboratory testing of biological material, other diagnostic methods may be prescribed, for example, ultrasound of the kidneys and bladder.
Diagnosis of diseases
If you notice that your baby’s urine has become cloudy or its color or smell has changed, then you need to conduct a general urine test. Nephropathy should also be diagnosed if the child begins to complain of pain in the abdomen or lower back, burning sensation, and discomfort during urination. The same should be done if you notice a deterioration in your child’s appetite, vomiting, or upset bowel movements.
The results of urine tests are assessed by a doctor
To carry out diagnostics, collect the baby’s morning urine and submit it for testing within 1-2 hours after that. The results of the analysis are assessed by a doctor. If salts are detected, the child is prescribed a special diet and repeated testing in order to exclude changes in the composition of urine due to dietary habits. If repeated examinations also turn out to be positive, then additional examinations are prescribed to reveal the cause of the pathology.
What do elevated indicators indicate?
Confirmed nephropathy (the so-called increase in the concentration of salts in the urine) can be:
- A variant of the norm. If the indicators were increased once, it’s not scary, says pediatrician Komarovsky. The baby may have eaten something wrong, or, if he is still on the breast, the mother probably ate something salty, or the baby moved too much.
- A sign of pathology. If the baby feels bad, is in pain, cries and finds it difficult to calm down, and crystalline sediment appears in the urine regularly, it means that something is definitely going wrong. The doctor will tell you what disease this is talking about, and he will prescribe treatment.
Baby crying in mom's arms
Effective treatments
In order to prescribe treatment, the doctor needs to determine why there are a lot of minerals in the urine. Treatment consists of selecting a diet and medications based on the type of salt deposit.
Basic actions during treatment
Initially, the doctor determines whether the appearance of sediment is due to errors in nutrition. If this is the case, the pediatrician recommends that the mother properly baby. If the problem occurs in an infant, the mother's diet should be reconsidered.
Often the appearance of salts in a child’s urine depends on the diet of the mother or the child himself.
If the examination reveals a disease, medications are prescribed in addition to the diet.
Diet
The therapeutic diet directly depends on the type of sediment.
- Urats. You should limit your consumption of meat, fatty fish, and strong broths. Eliminate coffee and chocolate. It is useful to drink clean water, eat cereals, fruits and vegetables.
- Phosphates. You should limit your consumption of fish and dairy products.
- Oxalates. The consumption of beets, spinach, sorrel, and strong broths is limited. It is useful to drink clean water, eat seafood, vegetables, and cereals.
For any type of sediment, it is helpful to drink more clean water. It flushes mineral crystals from the kidneys and urinary tract and prevents their deposition.
Drug treatment
The selection of medications is carried out only by a doctor based on test results.
- If urates are detected, medications are prescribed to reduce the acidity of urine. Additionally, diuretics and herbal medicine are recommended.
- If oxalates are detected, vitamins are indicated - retinol, tocopherol, pyridoxine.
- Phosphate deficiency is treated with vitamin D.
The accumulation of salts in the urine is not a harmless condition. Deposited on the walls of the bladder and ureters, crystals scratch the mucous membrane and contribute to chronic inflammation. Subsequently, the sediment turns into stones, and the child develops urolithiasis.
Possible consequences and prevention
Changes in the acidity of urine can lead to urolithiasis. This pathology is quite unpleasant, associated with frequent pain and constant dietary restrictions. Therefore, it is important to prevent its development.
To ensure that the disease does not have a chance, it is important to monitor your health, preventing nephropathy. First of all, this is adjusting the diet of the child or nursing mother:
- Food should be varied. It should include meat (no more than 100 grams per day for an infant), fish, vegetables, and cereals - all components of a healthy diet. If we are talking specifically about the liver, it can be taken no more than twice a week, 50 grams. (for an age of about a year).
- You need to drink a lot of water. This is especially true for formula-fed babies. Moreover, not only clean water is allowed, but also fruit compotes. It is better not to give soda, whether sweet or not, to children, even older ones (except as an exception and in doses).
- If the baby is on IV, then what to do with it should be decided by the pediatrician. Perhaps the formula he eats is not suitable for the baby. Then the doctor will recommend switching to another one.
Nephropathy is not yet a tragedy. Parents' attention to this problem will help avoid unpleasant complications. It is better to try to eat right and prevent its occurrence.
