Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 25, 2026
Point-of-Care Kidney and Genitourinary Ultrasound in Adults: Image Acquisition
Published on: June 21, 2024
Urolithiasis in infants: evaluation of risk factors
Funda Baştuğ1, Zübeyde Gündüz, Sebahat Tülpar
1Department of Pediatric Nephrology, Faculty of Medicine, Erciyes University, Talas Street, 38039, Kayseri, Turkey, fundadr@hotmail.com.
Insights
Infant urolithiasis is increasingly common in Turkey. Risk factors include family history, vitamin D, and formula feeding, often presenting with nonspecific symptoms.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nephrology
- Urology
Background:
- Urolithiasis (kidney stones) incidence is rising in infants in Turkey.
- Infantile urolithiasis can present with nonspecific or no symptoms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate clinical features, and metabolic and anatomic risk factors for infant urolithiasis and microlithiasis.
- To identify factors contributing to the increasing incidence of infant kidney stones.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective evaluation of 178 infants (1999-2009) diagnosed with urolithiasis.
- Analysis of clinical presentation, urinary tract abnormalities, metabolic profiles, and stone composition.
Main Results:
- Common symptoms included restlessness and vomiting; 19.7% had urinary tract abnormalities.
- Hypercalciuria (46%) and hyperuricosuria (56%) were prevalent. Calcium oxalate stones were most common (64.3%).
- Microlithiasis cases showed higher rates of vitamin D administration and formula feeding.
Conclusions:
- Infant urolithiasis requires awareness due to nonspecific symptoms.
- Family history, urologic abnormalities, metabolic disorders, UTIs, vitamin D, and formula feeding are associated risk factors.
Objective:
Urolithiasis in infants is not a very rare situation in Turkey, and the incidence has been increasing in recent years. The purpose of this paper was to investigate the clinical characteristics, metabolic and anatomic risk factors for urolithiasis and microlithiasis in infants.
Methods:
The cases of 178 infants (63 girls, 115 boys), who were referred to our department between 1999 and 2009 with urolithiasis, were evaluated.
Results:
The mean age at diagnosis of stone disease was 11.5 months (range, 10 days-24 months). The mean follow-up duration was 33.6 months (1.2-110 months). The major clinical symptoms of our patients were restlessness in 24 children (13.5%) and vomiting in 23 (13%). Thirty-five infants (19.7%) had a urinary tract abnormality; vesico-ureteral reflux was the most common abnormality (12.9%). Hypercalciuria and hyperuricosuria were detected in 46 and 56%, respectively. Stone analysis was performed in 56 infants, and calcium oxalate was determined in 36 patients (64.3%). A family history of urolithiasis, presenting symptoms and underlying metabolic abnormalities were similar for patients with microlithiasis and those with larger stones. However, infants with microlithiasis had higher ratios for history of vitamin D administration and feeding with formula. Surgical treatment was performed in 42 infants and extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy in 30 infants.
Conclusion:
Our results showed that urolithiasis in infants may present nonspecific symptoms and may even be asymptomatic and that a positive family history for urolithiasis, urologic abnormalities, metabolic disorders, urinary tract infections, vitamin D administration and feeding with formula may increase the occurrence of urolithiasis in infants.
Related Concept Videos
01:28Urinary Tract Calculi I: Introduction
01:28Urinary Tract Calculi V: Nursing Management
01:30Urinary Tract Calculi III: Medical Management
01:27Urinary Tract Calculi IV: Nutrition Therapy and Prevention
01:26Urinary Tract Calculi II: Pathophysiology and Clinical Manifestations
01:25Urinary Tract Calculi VI: Surgical Management