What are the treatments for Urine Blockage in Newborns ?
Treatment for urine blockage depends on the cause and severity of the blockage. Hydronephrosis discovered before the baby is born rarely requires immediate action, especially if it is only on one side. The condition often goes away without any treatment before or after birth. The health care provider should keep track of the condition with frequent ultrasounds.
                
Surgery
                
If the urine blockage threatens the life of the unborn baby, a fetal surgeon may recommend surgery to insert a shunt or correct the problem causing the blockage. A shunt is a small tube that can be inserted into the babys bladder to release urine into the amniotic sac. The procedure is similar to amniocentesis, in that a needle is inserted through the mothers abdomen. Ultrasound guides placement of the shunt, which is attached to the end of the needle. Alternatively, an endoscopea small, flexible tube with a lightcan be used to place a shunt or to repair the problem causing the blockage. Fetal surgery carries many risks, so it is performed only in special circumstances, such as when the amniotic fluid is absent and the babys lungs are not developing or when the kidneys are severely damaged.
                
If the urinary defect does not correct itself after the child is born, and the child continues to have urine blockage, surgery may be needed to remove the obstruction and restore urine flow. The decision to operate depends on the degree of blockage. After surgery, a small tube, called a stent, may be placed in the ureter or urethra to keep it open temporarily while healing occurs.
                
Antibiotics
                
Antibiotics are bacteria-fighting medications. A child with possible urine blockage or VUR may be given antibiotics to prevent UTIs from developing until the urinary defect corrects itself or is corrected with surgery.
                
Intermittent Catheterization
                
Intermittent catheterization may be used for a child with urinary retention due to a nerve disease. The parent or guardian, and later the child, is taught to drain the bladder by inserting a thin tube, called a catheter, through the urethra to the bladder. Emptying the bladder in this way helps to decrease kidney damage, urine leakage, and UTIs.