With the birth of a baby, new worries and concerns arise in the life of a young mother, and one of them is the constant testing of the baby at the children's clinic. And not every mother knows how to collect urine from a baby.

In fact, everything is not so difficult, you just need to choose the most convenient method and follow all the rules.

How to collect urine from a baby?

There are several ways to collect biomaterial from infants. Each parent chooses the one that is most convenient for him specifically.

Urine from a newborn can be collected using:

• urinal;
• plastic bag;
• plastic or glass container.

Each of these methods has its own advantages and disadvantages. Let's take a closer look at them.

The urinal for infants has an adhesive surface for reliable fixation of the device

We use a urinal

The urine bag is a bag with a special hole that is attached between the child’s legs with secure Velcro. Thus, it turns out that when the baby decides to pee, the urine will not flow out, but will be collected in the urine bag.

This device is not expensive at all, and can be purchased at any pharmacy.

The rules for using a urine bag are simple. Before the procedure, the child should be washed well with a hypoallergenic product or soap. Next, place the baby on his back and wait until he calms down and stops fussing. All this time it will be useful to talk with the baby. Mom's voice and soothing intonation will relax him faster.

Then “put on” the urine bag. It needs to be attached between the baby's legs; there is no need to wear a diaper, as it will compress the bag, and as a result, all the urine will end up in the diaper.

It will be better if the child is in an upright position during the collection of the analysis: this will protect it from leakage. You can pick up the baby in your arms and hold him until he pees, or you can put the baby on his feet (this applies to children who can already stand).

The collected biomaterial must be poured into a sterilized jar and taken to the clinic.

Thus, the process of collecting urine with a urinal includes the following steps:

1. wash your hands and baby thoroughly;
2. tear the packaging and remove the urine bag;
3. remove the protective film from the Velcro and glue the bag between the child’s legs (for girls - around the labia, and for boys, place the genitals inside the bag);
4. wait for the result while holding the baby in your arms;
5. peel off the urine bag from the baby’s skin;
6. Make a cut on the bag and pour the urine in a thin stream into a clean container.

The urine bag is a disposable item. Immediately after use, you must throw it away and use a new one next time.

Advantages and disadvantages of urinals

As you can see, a urinal makes life much easier for young mothers. This invention appeared relatively recently, but is already very popular.

The advantages of a urinal include accessibility, low cost, and ease of use. As for the shortcomings, there are almost none. It may not be possible to collect urine using this device the first time, but everything comes with experience.

The bag must be carefully tied on the baby’s hips

Collecting urine using a bag

The package can rightfully be called a “folk” version of a urinal. At least the operating principle of the package is the same.

For the procedure you will need a clean (ideally new) plastic bag with handles. Cut the arms so that they can be tied and secured on the baby’s hips. It turns out to be an improvised urine collector, which is located between the baby’s legs.

Next, everything is done in the same way as in the case of a purchased urinal. It is better to hold the child in your arms and wait for urination in an upright position. If the child is very small, you can simply put him in the crib without a diaper, and put a bag under the baby. But don’t forget to lay down the oilcloth, otherwise you’ll end up with extra washing.

Eating often causes babies to urinate, so try feeding your little one. This will speed up the process.

Advantages and disadvantages of urine collection bags for children

This method is less expensive than collecting with a urine bag. In addition, a bag (even a simple cellophane bag will do) is almost always at hand, so there will be no problems with collecting tests even in force majeure circumstances.

But there are several disadvantages of this method:

• lack of absolute sterility;
• discomfort for the baby;
• inconvenience of the procedure;
• risk of spilling the contents, especially if the child is actively moving.

Pharmacies now sell special sterile containers for collecting biomaterial for analysis.

Collecting urine in a jar

This method is also called “grandmother’s”, since it is the oldest and most proven of all three. Previously, urine jars were used to collect urine. baby food and mayonnaise, it is now possible to buy special containers for biomaterial at the pharmacy. Such containers are convenient because they do not need to be pre-boiled and sterilized, while food jars need to be thoroughly disinfected.

Collecting urine with a jar requires patience and time. It is carried out as follows:

• wash the baby well and lay him on oilcloth;
• pick up a clean jar and wait;
• As soon as the baby starts peeing, place the jar and collect the urine. It is best to collect “average” urine, since it is the purest - it is its study that will give the most accurate results.

This method is convenient to use for a boy, but to collect urine from girls they use a method called “grandmother’s plate.” The essence of this method is simple.

You will need a clean (sterilized) shallow dish. It must be placed under the girl’s bottom when she lies on her back in the crib. As soon as the baby pees, the plate must be carefully removed and the contents poured into a sterile jar with a lid.

Before the procedure, the baby must be thoroughly washed

Rules for collecting tests from infants

1. Before collecting tests, wash the baby thoroughly with soap or special means, and then rinse thoroughly with water and wipe dry.
2. For analysis, you need to collect morning urine.
3. You cannot donate urine squeezed out of a diaper or clothing. Such an analysis will obviously give a false result.
4. The same goes for diapers. If you “extract” the test from a diaper, the result will be incorrect.
5. Also, you should not use urine from the pot, as there will still be germs in the pot (no matter how you wash it).
6. You can stimulate urination by turning on the tap or recording the sound of water.
7. If the baby wears a diaper all night, just take it off in the morning and the baby will immediately pee.
8. You can also “help” your baby pee by wetting the diaper on which he is lying, or by giving a light tummy massage.
9. You only need to submit fresh urine to the clinic (it cannot be stored for more than two hours).
10. Stick a piece of paper with the necessary information about the child (full name, date) on the test jar.

Conclusion

As you can see, collecting urine from a baby is not that difficult. It is better to use a special urine collector for this purpose, but in the absence of such a device, you can resort to the proven “grandmother’s” method or collect urine with an ordinary bag. The main thing when collecting tests is to comply with all rules of hygiene and sterility.

A urine test is considered mandatory during a routine examination of a baby, as well as in the case of diagnosis of a particular disease. For young parents, this procedure causes concern, since doing it correctly and painlessly for the child does not seem realistic. This opinion is wrong; collecting urine from a baby, even an infant, is not so difficult, the main thing is to choose the optimal time and convenient method.

Peculiarities of urination in a child

The number of urinations in children depends on their age, for example, a baby up to six months old is able to empty the bladder up to 25 times per day, and one year old baby already up to 12 times.

More often, this process occurs after sleep, which is just suitable for collecting analysis in the morning. Many babies urinate after feeding, so if the test collection immediately after sleep fails, then after breakfast you can try again.

How can you collect urine from a baby (girl and boy)

The main difficulties in collecting biomaterial from infants lie in the technical side of the issue, especially in girls, as well as in the difficulty of determining the time of urination. These problems are completely solvable if you know some of the subtleties of the entire event.

How to collect urine from a baby up to 3 months old

Babies up to a year old urinate quite often, which allows several attempts to collect material. It is better to try 10-15 minutes after feeding.

The process can be carried out according to several schemes:

The first option using a urinal is considered the best and most correct, as it is faster and easier to collect the analysis without injuring the baby.

How to collect urine from a child under one year old

In older children, namely up to one year, urine collection can be carried out by analogy with infants. Difficulties may arise in holding the urine bag, as the child may actively protest against this object, crawl away and tear it off.

The situation is similar with the package, especially since the baby can simply tear it and spill all the contents. During the waiting period, parents should make an effort to distract the child from breaking the devices for collecting urine; you can carry it in your arms for a while.

If for older boys it is a little easier to collect tests in a jar by placing the container under the stream, then for girls the same difficulties remain. Alternatively, you can try not to put a diaper on your baby and just wait and at the crucial moment, quickly but carefully lift her and place the jar on her. The whole process needs to be done together. Even if the baby is already potty trained, there is no need to collect biomaterial from the container, since tests with such urine will have unreliable indicators.

A similar option is possible if you first put on a urine bag and sit the child down, by inertia he can go to the toilet, and the parents will remove the necessary material.

What not to do

In order to simplify the collection of urine, some resort to techniques that cannot be done, since after this the test results will be questionable. In addition, there is a possibility of introducing bacteria into the urine, which during examination can be interpreted by the doctor as the development of pathological processes. The list of prohibited methods includes:

1. Squeeze urine from a diaper or any other material, including a diaper.
2. Drain the contents of the pot even if you washed it before. Cleaning agents and possible biomaterial residues will change the composition of the urine supplied.
3. Before fixing the urinal, lubricate the fastening area with cream.
4. Collect urine in advance, for example, in the afternoon or evening, and donate it the next day.

On a note! The more accurately the analysis is collected, the more reliable the information will be, so there is no need to neglect sterility.

General collection rules

For convenience, sterile store-bought containers can be used to collect samples; if used, they must be thoroughly washed and treated with boiling water.

The following tips will help parents:

1. If there are tests to be taken, the baby can be given more fluid the night before. If the baby is still up at night, then give him a little more to drink or give him formula or breast milk: on the eve of the delivery, the diet of the child or nursing mother should be adjusted, by analogy, as before the delivery of biomaterial to adults. Food, medications, and coloring products should be excluded for a day.
2. You can provoke urination at the level of a reflex, for example, turn on the water tap and bring the child nearby, pouring liquid from glass to glass nearby. You can put the baby on a wet diaper, but not for long, given that the room is warm. It is important not to overdo it and not give your baby a cold; 3-5 minutes is enough.
3. To prevent the child from tearing off the urinal, you can distract him with a light massage and games. Laughter and crying provoke urination; if the child begins to express his emotions and dissatisfaction, then the container should be nearby.
4. Biological tests change in composition with prolonged exposure to a warm environment. While getting ready for the clinic, it is better to put the container in the refrigerator, try not to leave it for more than 2 hours.

When trying to collect urine correctly, it is not necessary to experiment and come up with new devices, as this may not be beneficial for the correct collection of biomaterial. It is better to choose time-tested and experience-tested methods that do not cause long-term discomfort to the baby and do not affect the structure of urine, for example, ready-to-use urinals.

How to collect urine from a one-year-old girl? This question is relevant, since all parents of children face this problem. Small child He is very restless, so it is very difficult to collect the fluid he secretes. In this case, urine is important factor in determining the correct diagnosis if the baby is sick with something.

General rules

In order to collect tests correctly, the child must be clean. Babies are washed front and back to prevent bacteria from the intestines from reaching the organs of the urinary system. If this procedure is not carried out, substances that provoke false test results may get into the analysis.

If a general urine test is needed for diagnosis, the substance must be collected in the morning. The results should be sent to the laboratory within 1-3 hours. Urine that was collected in the evening should not be sent for diagnosis, since material left at home all night can lead to incorrect diagnosis.

Currently exists a large number of methods for collecting fluid, but some of them are ineffective. For example, you should not squeeze material out of diapers or diapers. The fact is that the diapers contain a special gel, which, if it gets into the liquid secreted by the child, leads to a distortion of the results. In addition, this method is not suitable for bacteriological research, because in the end the specialist will only receive a diagnosis of the flora located on the diaper itself, and not in the child’s reproductive system.

Collecting samples from a pot will also lead to a false positive result. Even if mommy boils the children's toilet, the number of leukocytes will increase, and the necessary diagnosis will be incorrect, as a result of which the doctor may prescribe ineffective treatment.

Common Methods

Many mothers use special containers to collect tests. But this method has a big drawback, since it requires time to catch the right moment. This method is more suitable for boys. And if this is a little girl, it is better to place a shallow plate or saucer, which must be boiled before use, so that external microbes do not get on the dishes. In order for urination to occur, you can place a wet cotton wool, which stimulates the natural processes of fluid secretion.

The most common method is the use of urine bags. Although this method has its drawbacks, the sterility of the collected tests is maintained. Often the child is very restless and irritation may appear, however this method provides an accurate diagnosis, which is necessary when collecting material for research.

In order to collect the analysis, you need to wash your hands well. It is necessary to place the child in such a way that he feels confident and comfortable, and psychological support for the baby plays an important role. To be safe, some use sterile gloves to prevent germs from getting into your baby's urine. The baby should lie on its back with its legs spread. After the mother washes her baby, you need to treat the external genitalia with baby antiseptic wipes. Sterile wipes will be needed to dry your baby's skin. In order to use a urine bag, you need to remove the protective sticker and apply the product to the genitals so that urine begins to flow into a small bag. After the procedure is completed, you need to close the urinal and pour the contained liquid into a special container. The sample should be labeled with the child's first and last name and then sent to a laboratory for diagnosis.

All parents, without exception, sooner or later are faced with the need to collect urine. Unfortunately, not all mothers know how to do this correctly. The greatest difficulty is usually in collecting urine from a small child. Often such tests are important for making a correct diagnosis. It is important to know how to collect biological material, in this case urine, as this can affect correct and timely detection pathological process in the child's body.

How to properly collect urine for children under one year of age and older. General rules

1. The baby should be washed before collecting the analysis. The process of washing in boys and girls should be carried out from front to back, in order to avoid intestinal bacterial flora from entering the mucous membrane of the genitourinary system;

2. An unwashed child may have bacteria in his urine, which will lead to a false test result.

• For morning urine is necessary, it is better to use its middle portion. That is, if a child urinates, it is advisable not to collect the first and last part of the urine;
• It is necessary to deliver urine to the laboratory as quickly as possible, within 1-3 hours;
• Do not store in the refrigerator or freeze urine;
• do not collect urine in advance in the evening - long-term storage of the material leads to distorted results. The cells in the urine are destroyed, the turbidity changes and the reaction of the environment shifts;
• The minimum amount of urine is 15-25 ml - 3-5 teaspoons.

About ineffective methods

There are several basic ways to collect analysis from a small child.

"Squeezing a diaper or diaper"

Not the best The best way for analysis collection, although quite often used, which is best avoided. The fact is that diapers use a special gel-like substance, which, in fact, ensures the absorption of moisture. When trying to squeeze out such a diaper, it is often possible to squeeze out the mixture of urine and this gel, which will naturally affect the adequate assessment of the analysis. Wringing out the diaper also makes no sense. Besides, what kind of sterility are we talking about? This type of collection is absolutely not suitable for bacteriological research. So, instead of the flora of the child’s urinary tract, we get the flora that lives on a diaper or diaper.

"Pour urine from a potty"

Also not the best way. Collect in a metal pot - suitable option, but it must be boiled before collecting the analysis. If the pot is made of plastic, then this is not possible, and the use of household chemicals does not guarantee the expected effect. The number of leukocytes - white blood cells - in the urine of such a child, even if collected in a well-washed pot, will exceed the norm, and bacteriological testing will give a false positive result.

“Seize the moment and present a sterile container for collecting the analysis”

In this case, you have to rely on luck. It is advisable to prepare the container, which today can be bought at any pharmacy, in advance. Collecting urine in a jar is not a reliable enough option; even a jar treated with boiling water does not always guarantee cleanliness. It is very convenient to collect urine from a baby under one year old in the bathroom. The sound of splashing water will stimulate the child's urination process. You can also give your baby clean drinking water.

Often, after sleep, babies urinate, and you will have to “seize the moment” by placing a previously prepared container under the stream of urine. This technique is well suited for boys.

When collecting urine from girls, you can place a shallow plate or saucer. Do not forget about the cleanliness and sterility of utensils. Such dishes must be thoroughly washed and boiled. You can stimulate urination by placing a cotton swab soaked in warm water for a second - this will provide tactile stimulation for the child to urinate.

“Using a urine bag or urine bag”

Unfortunately, it is not always possible to purchase urine bags at a regular pharmacy, but they are often available at hospital points. It is a polyethylene sterile bag with a special hole and an adhesive area for fixing it on the child’s pubis. These urinals are ideal for children under one year old. There are both urinals for boys and for little representatives of the fair sex. You can safely put a diaper on top of the bag fixed to the crotch. To avoid irritation and dermatitis, it is better not to leave the receiver for a long time, at night. In addition, after urinating several times during the night, an “incorrect” analysis is collected, which can cause unnecessary consequences. The urinal is easy to transport. The hole through which urine enters is sealed with a plastic cap.

Unfortunately, this method also has its drawbacks:

• children are often very restless and constantly strive to tear off unnecessary things that are in the way;
• skin irritation;
• inability to collect the “right” portion.

“How to collect urine from oilcloth with a syringe?”

Method from folklore. The idea is simple - the child relieves himself while lying on an oilcloth, and the parents take urine with a sterile syringe. The oilcloth must be prepared (washed) in advance and wait for the moment of truth. Lying on a cold oilcloth for a long time will not be at all comfortable for your baby. In this case, it is better not to dream about sterility.

"Urine collection method by bladder catheterization"

The method is described for general educational purposes only. The use of this technique is possible only in a medical institution by a qualified specialist. Don't try this at home!

Failure to comply with the catheterization technique can lead to serious complications, such as infection or trauma to the urethra. The technique involves inserting a flexible hollow tube (catheter) into the urethra and collecting urine directly from the bladder. The technique is good in a hospital setting, in cases where the child’s urination process is impaired. An analysis collected in accordance with all rules is always sterile, unless the baby has a urinary tract infection. The method is ideal for bacteriological research and urine biochemistry.

Algorithm for collecting urine from a one-year-old child using urinals.

You can collect urine from a girl up to one year old using the following method:

• carrying out hygienic hand washing;
• child preparation. The child should feel comfortable and should not cry. Psychological support is important;
• Non-sterile gloves can be used;
• the baby should lie on his back with his legs apart;
• It is better to treat the perineum of a washed child again, immediately before the collection procedure, with antiseptic wipes. First, the folds of the labia, and then the perurethral area with separate napkins. Movements should be made only from front to back to avoid infection;
• the skin is dried with dry sterile wipes;
• preparing a urinal. Removing the protective sticker and applying the urine bag to the external genitalia, so as to ensure the flow of urine into the container;
• you can stimulate urination using the methods described earlier;
• when the child has relieved himself, the urinal is closed or its contents are poured into a sterile container;
• the sample must be labeled. Indicate the child's surname and initials, age, time and date of urine collection.

Urine collection in boys under one year of age:

• Be sure to wash your hands before testing;
• child preparation. The child should feel comfortable and should not cry. Talk, calm down;
• You can use non-sterile gloves;
• the child’s position is similar to that described in the previous technique;
• It is better to treat the perineum of a washed child again, immediately before the collection procedure, with antiseptic wipes. Treat the genitals; movements should be made only from front to back to avoid infection. Pull back the foreskin slightly and use a new cloth to clean the external opening of the urethra. Do not force the opening of the head, do not injure the child;
• preparing a urinal. Removing the protective sticker, the sticky surface of the urinal is attached to the child’s skin, ensuring tightness and urine flow into the container;
• when the child has relieved himself, the urinal is carefully closed or its contents are poured into a sterile container for analysis;
• the sample must be labeled;
• the analysis is ready for transportation to the laboratory.

The required volume of urine for testing is 15 ml. It is impossible to store research material for a long time, as this leads to incorrect results.
Many parents of infants, especially girls, find it difficult to collect morning urine.

Incorrect options for collecting urine for analysis

1) Collect the diaper or diaper from the oilcloth and wring it out.
The diapers contain a gel that absorbs liquid. If you start to wring out the diaper, the output will be the same gel. During push-ups, the diaper acts as a kind of filter, after which the urine is no longer suitable for laboratory testing, as it has lost its properties. Urine is also collected from oilcloth using a syringe, but at this time the child is not comfortable, especially since oilcloth can be cold for the baby.
2) use the potty
If the pot is made of aluminum, then it must be boiled before collecting the urine, and if it is made of plastic, it will also not be possible to achieve perfect sterility from it. When plastic pot the analysis result will be distorted for the worse.

Correct options for collecting urine for analysis

1) Use a glass jar
Glass containers must be exposed to boiling water. After the baby wakes up, you need to wash it. Urination will occur faster if the child hears the sound of water or drinks a little.
2) Collection of urine from girls
After sleeping, place a shallow steamed plate under the baby’s bottom. The cookware must cool down to avoid scalding. Then, touching the perineal area with a cotton swab dipped in warm water, you can substitute a container for collecting the analysis.
3) Collection of urine from a boy
After waking up, the baby always urinates. You just need to place the container for collecting urine for analysis in time. The collection container can be a scalded glass jar, a plastic container sold at any pharmacy, or a condom.
4) Use a special collection for urine
The urine collector is a plastic bag with a hole in the middle, sealed at both edges. You need to glue the bag to the genitals and put a diaper on top. It is important to rinse your baby before the procedure.

Types of urine tests

General analysis
This type of study is carried out to identify possible problems with the kidneys and bladder.
The study of urine in laboratory conditions is carried out to assess both its physical and chemical characteristics.

Indicators examined during general urine analysis
Color, clarity, specific gravity, and acidity level are studied. Such
indicators such as protein, sugar, bile pigment, bilirubin reduction product, acetone, nitrous acid salts, hemoglobin. Urine sediment is examined for the presence of epithelial cells, red blood cells, leukocytes, casts, and bacteria.
When collecting urine for general analysis, you must remember that it is important to collect morning material in order for the results of the study to give an adequate assessment.

Testing according to Nechiporenko

The Nechiporenko analysis is aimed at determining the amount of white, red blood cells and cylinders in 1 ml of urine.
This type of study is done in case of suspicion of infection, if deviations from the norm were found in a clinical urine test.
You need to collect the morning urine of an average portion in a 100 ml container.

Analysis of daily urine (according to Zimnitsky)

If there are suspicions of serious kidney disease, then a Zimnitsky test is prescribed.
1. The earliest urine is not collected in the morning; it is passed through.
2. Then, throughout the day, each urination (within an interval of 3 hours) and the first portion of urine in the morning of the next day are placed in 8 sterile containers. The material for analysis is stored in a refrigerator from +4 to +8 C.
For this analysis, you need to try to collect all the urine, since the total amount of material for research per day is being taken into account.
3. It is important here to keep track of the amount of fluid you drink to determine the ratio of daytime and nighttime urination

Urinalysis for biochemistry per day

The earliest urine is passed in the morning. All other portions of daytime and nighttime urination, as well as the portion of urine of the morning of the next day, are combined into one container. It is stored in the refrigerator from +4 to +8 degrees throughout the entire collection time.
You need to know the amount of urine in the container, then mix it and pour it into a small jar. You don't need to bring all the urine.
On the referral form, be sure to indicate the volume of urine per day, as well as the patient’s height and weight.

Analysis for Catecholamines in urine

1) First, you need to take a special preservative powder and a container for analysis from the clinic. When donating urine, it is important not to take mate, chocolate, cheese and other dairy products for 3 days before the test. And also bananas, cocoa, tea, which contains Camellia sinensis, preparations containing nitroglycerin, caffeine, ethanol.
2) Preservative powder should be poured into the bottom of a clean container in which the analysis is to be collected.
3) The first urine collected in the morning should be skipped. Starting from the next portions, count down the time by filling a jar with a preservative with the material for research. The last act of urination should occur exactly 24 hours from the original time.
4) At the end of the procedure, you need to measure the volume of urine, mix it and pour it into a separate container. After all the steps taken, bring it to the delivery point at the medical facility. When submitting material for research, it is important to indicate the time of collection and the total amount of urine.