Well child visit with pediatrician (maybe TMI)

[Abby Normal]

I have no idea if it's normal. What made them check the urine in the first place? That wasn't ever included on my DS's visits. Maybe your Dr is more thorough.

[Deleted]

The Mayo Clinic website said the same thing about it being common in active children, or after any level of activity for that matter. I wouldn't worry if your doctor isn't worried (but I am never going to be Mother of the Year either ).

[Deleted]

Ours has taken a urine sample at each well visit since the kids have been potty trained. Maybe my kids aren't active enough!

[Abby Normal]

Maybe my kid has so many other issues- they weren't worried about that one.

[Deleted]

We've never had to give a urine sample and our well child visits end at age 2 when they get their last shots. They go again at 5 before kindy, but that's pretty much the last time my 10 year old was to the doctor!

[Deleted]

Nov 28, 2012 11:43:51 GMT -5 @wrongsideof30 said:

Nov 28, 2012 11:41:35 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

We've never had to give a urine sample and our well child visits end at age 2 when they get their last shots. They go again at 5 before kindy, but that's pretty much the last time my 10 year old was to the doctor!

My kids are 8 and 6 and I take them every year. Maybe I'm not supposed to, but I do. Our insurance never refused to pay or anything.

I should check into it. If it's covered, what the heck. I just know when we got the two year old shots with both of them, they told us "See you at age 5!" when we were leaving. I just went with that.

[shanendoah]

Protein in the urine can be a sign of a kidney issue. However, it is very common in active children and can show up after any activity. That's why they want the urine from the first thing in the morning- it generally been a long time since there's been activity.
I had protien show up in my urine back in middle school when I was getting the physical in order to play volleyball. I had to do the first thing in the morning sample and it came back fine.
However, my BFF growing up had major kidney problems (and has since had a transplant), so I'm aware of what it could signal

[shanendoah]

Minnesota: Well child visits are like yearly physicals for adults. It is preventative care and most insurance companies cover them with $0 copay. About the only time your policy wouldn't cover that is if you have catestrophic only coverage, and some of those policies, due to changes in federal regulation over the last 10 years, cover preventative care at no copay/coinsurance, too.

[tractor]

High protein levels are often found in someone developing muscle tissue, or a growing child whose muscles are being used on a regular basis. The proteins are released from the muscle tissues as they are broken down and excreted through the urine. This is why replacing protein in the diet is important for growing children(and adults). I have had this problem since I started lifting weights heavy, at first Dr was concerned, then the found out more about my exercise habits and it made sense. Maybe it's just a growth spurt? Your Dr should be able to tell you if the levels are too high indicating another possible problem.

[Deleted]

Mine are 14 and 11and go every year. They automatically send reminders. It works for me because any med stuff i need for homeschool reporting is done... Maybe some don't worry because school age kids tend to get height weight, eye and hearing screenings, etc. in school. As far as shots being over at 2 or 5 ??

We never do urine though, that I can remember...

[Deleted]

Well child visits are like yearly physicals for adults.

Yeah, we don't do those either.

[Deleted]

Nov 28, 2012 12:43:00 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

Well child visits are like yearly physicals for adults.

Yeah, we don't do those either.

My kids stopped going for regular visits around age 5. for any illness or injury we used urgent care (trying to get a sick visit at the ped was a nightmare and then it was a long wait there). DS1 went every 6 months when he was on ADHD meds but he stopped those years ago.

When DD needed a tetanus shot before going off to college I took her to the health department.

I only go to the GYN (so I can get my birth control script) and my endo (so I can get my thyroid med scripts). I don't go for a regular physical though.

[Deleted]

Nov 28, 2012 12:50:14 GMT -5 @singlemominmd said:

Nov 28, 2012 12:43:00 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

Well child visits are like yearly physicals for adults.

Yeah, we don't do those either.

My kids stopped going for regular visits around age 5. for any illness or injury we used urgent care (trying to get a sick visit at the ped was a nightmare and then it was a long wait there). DS1 went every 6 months when he was on ADHD meds but he stopped those years ago.

When DD needed a tetanus shot before going off to college I took her to the health department.

I only go to the GYN (so I can get my birth control script) and my endo (so I can get my thyroid med scripts). I don't go for a regular physical though.

Yep. We just do urgent care too. Older son hasn't even been there for the past two years, and that was for whooping cough....which he had for 8 months. Way to go vaccines!

I did go this year for birth control, (hadn't been on anything for 5 years prior) and I think I'll get the 5 year hormonal IUD after the first of the year when that's free (at least I think that's what's supposed to happen).

[shanendoah]

Minnesota: Whether you go or not, your insurance covers yearly preventative care- for adults and children.
The IUD will be free after your insurance renews. For many people, that is in January, but it really depends on where and how you're getting your insurance. If you just went through open enrollment and the new benefits/benefit amounts kick in in Janauary, then yes, that is when the IUD will be free. But if your benefits don't renew until 2nd quarter, then the IUD won't be free until after that.

[Deleted]

The IUD will be free after your insurance renews. For many people, that is in January, but it really depends on where and how you're getting your insurance.

Cool. We just had open enrollment and our benefits renew Jan. 1st. When I was at the doctors this spring they told me it would be about $1000, so I've been dragging my feet on getting it done.

[milee]

So assuming the protein in the urine is normal and not a problem - then why the heck are they checking for it? This sort of thing drives me nuts. When the doc/dentist wants to do a test, I ask what we're going to do with the information. If the answer is essentially "nothing", then why do the test?

So either it means something and it's good they caught it, or it means nothing and they should stop wasting money and time testing for it.

[Deleted]

I'm guessing they run an analysis of the urine and the protein level is just one thing that is covered. Ignore it in active kids, worry about it in 40 year old diabetic...

[shanendoah]

Milee: As I stated in my first comment on this thread, it can be an indicator of a kidney malfunction. It's been a standard test for at least 25 years, as they tested my urine for that when I was in middle school. That's why, when the find it in the middle of the day, they then ask for a first thing in the morning pee sample. If protein shows up in that sample, then they would start doing additional tests to check kidney function.

[oreo]

My DS goes to the doctor every year (he's 4 now) and has never had urine or blood tested (they did a blood test at birth in the hospital but not since). Maybe they only do that if there is some family history of something?

[973beachbum]

Nov 28, 2012 16:37:45 GMT -5 oreo said:

My DS goes to the doctor every year (he's 4 now) and has never had urine or blood tested (they did a blood test at birth in the hospital but not since). Maybe they only do that if there is some family history of something?

My DD is 17 and DS is 9. somewhere between her and him they started doing a blood panel about every 5 years. they have never done a urine sample though.

[Deleted]

I think it's wonderful that your doctor is so thorough. If you are concerned you should get a second opinion. DH was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder that affects his kidney function. He's probably had it since he was a child. That being said there is no treatment for DH's disorder until it gets acute so having an earlier diagnosis would have made no difference at all.

I really hesitated to post this because I'm sure 99% of kids with proten spill are just fine.

[milee]

OK, gotcha. I hadn't noticed that the doc was doing the follow up testing of getting another sample of first thing in the morning urine. I misread and thought the doc just said to ignore the result that it's normal.

Mine does urine samples at the well child visits as well, but I don't take my kids every year.

[Deleted]

Sometimes docs check too much and find things that really don't mean anything. One doctor wrote a paper on the incidence of times (40%) they find things they weren't looking for in cat scan results, with many unncessary tests being ordered and nothing else found.

As a kid, I had protein (albumin) in the urine a lot, but the doc tested it only because I was feeling borderline sick all the time- for months. Turned out I was running a low-grade kidney infection and had 3 kidneys. Antibiotics cleared it up, that was the end of it. I'm 59 and not on any prescriptions at all and I have no idea if I have protein in my urine. Since your DS doesn't have any other symptoms, though, it may not be a problem. Not everyone's "normal" fits the textbook parameters.

[midjd]

and had 3 kidneys.

Say whaaaaaa? Do you still have all of them? That's pretty neat.

[daisylu]

This mornings urine sample didn't have any protein and the pediatrician talked me down from the ledge.

Glad everything came out OK!

Since this has happened for the last 3 years, maybe next year you should just take a morning sample with you and save yourself some worry.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Or try to schedule well visits first thing in the morning.

I would if this happens every single time I go in, what a pain to have to drive all the way back with morning pee.

[daisylu]

I do not remember our pediatrician ever checking my children's pee at well visits.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Mine hasn't but she is only two. He'd have another thing coming if he expected me to try to collect urine samples.

[Labcat]

Nov 28, 2012 15:18:20 GMT -5 milee said:

So assuming the protein in the urine is normal and not a problem - then why the heck are they checking for it? This sort of thing drives me nuts. When the doc/dentist wants to do a test, I ask what we're going to do with the information. If the answer is essentially "nothing", then why do the test?

So either it means something and it's good they caught it, or it means nothing and they should stop wasting money and time testing for it.

Protein in the urine is not normal for the average person....it is an indicator of something and prompts the physician to ask some more questions. What is not abnormal is for very active people to have trace amounts. The protein test is on a dipstick along with about 10 other things.

[Deleted]

Nov 29, 2012 8:51:18 GMT -5 midjd said:

and had 3 kidneys.

Say whaaaaaa? Do you still have all of them? That's pretty neat.

Yeah, I'm a mutation. I still have all 3- no need to remove them, but nice to know I have a spare if someone else needs it. The doc said it was likely that it runs in the family.