Urinary screening program to detect renal disease in preschool and kindergarten children.

In an attempt to detect major structural problems of the urinary tract in the early stages 12 006 preschool and kindergarten children (aged 2 to 6 years) were screened for urinary tract infection. Two cases of renal scarring--unilateral in one child and bilateral in the other--were found. It was often difficult to obtain a urine sample and many cultures yielded false-positive results. In terms of cost and effort expended in relation to the low yield of major nephrologic problems, there appears to be no justification at present for routine screening for urinary tract infection in this age group.