Background
: Urinary tract infection is important in children, since untreated or undertreated urinary tract infection has an incidious progressive course resulting in renal damage and a tendency to shorten life. In child, gastrointestinal symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, poor feeding, loose stool, diarrhea and pyrexia may be the only manifestation of urinary tract infection. As primary care physician, we must detect urinary tract infection as early as possible.

Methods : Clinical, laboratory, bacteriologic and radiologic studies were performed in 387 infants and children with gastrointestinal symptoms who were admitted to the Department of Pediatrics, Dong Incheon Gil Hospital from January 1991 to December 1991.

Results : 387 cases with gastrointestinal symptoms under the age of 15 years were studied for the evidence of urinary tract infection. 51(13.4%) had urinary tract infection. 27 out of 51(52.9%) were male and 24 out of 51(47.1%) were female. Urinary tract infection was more prevalent under the age of 1 year(84.3%).(P<0.005)

Conclusion : An early detection of urinary tract infection in neonates can be done by screening the cases with gastrointestinal symptoms and a routine examination of urine in all such cases.