Question
What could cause occasional urinary sediment in a 5-year-old child, appearing orange in color after overnight exposure?
Answer
This is usually a physiological phenomenon rather than a sign of illness. We know that urine contains various salts, which dissolve in the body and make it clear and transparent when it is excreted. However, as the temperature drops, air oxidizes, and the acidity or alkalinity changes, these salts precipitate out of the urine, leading to cloudiness or sedimentation. The buildup of salts in the urinal is what forms the sediment. In rare cases, cloudy urine can be a pathological condition, characterized by daily occurrence of cloudy urine and significant sediment in the urinal. For example, metabolic disorders may lead to an excess of salts in the urine, increasing the risk of forming kidney stones; individuals with gout may see small granules resembling fish eggs in their urine sediment, and if blood tests show elevated levels of uric acid, a diagnosis of gout can be made.