Long-term antibiotics for preventing recurrent urinary tract infection in children

Bladder and kidney infections (urinary tract infection ‐ UTI) are common in children, especially girls. They cause an uncomfortable illness that can include vomiting, fever and tiredness. In some children kidney damage may occur, as can repeat illnesses. With repeated infections the risk of kidney damage increases. Some doctors prescribe long‐term antibiotics to try to prevent infections recurring, but this may cause the child to be unwell in other ways, e.g. vomiting. This review of trials found evidence that long‐term antibiotics did prevent some infections, but these infections occurred without the child being unwell, that is they may not be real illnesses and thus don't need prevention. Nitrofurantoin was more effective than trimethoprim but had more adverse effects.