Urine (pee) flows from the kidneys down tubes called ureters (YER-eh-ters) into the bladder. The urine is stored in the bladder until a person is ready to urinate (pee).

An ectopic ureter is when the ureter doesn't connect to the bladder in the usual place. It may run from the kidney to the urethra (the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the outside of the body) or the reproductive organs. In girls, an ectopic ureter may drain into the vagina, causing a small amount of pee to constantly leak into their underpants.

Some kids with an ectopic ureter are more likely to get urinary tract infections (UTIs).

Surgery can fix the problem. The surgeon usually does this by moving the ectopic ureter so that it drains into a more normal location in the bladder. In a few kids, the kidney that the ectopic ureter is attached to doesn't work properly. If this is the case, the surgeon may remove the ureter and any damaged kidney tissue.

• If your child has a problem with leaking, an absorbent pad in the underwear can help.
• If your child has a UTI, give the medicine your health care provider prescribed as directed.
• Contact your child's surgeon to schedule a pre-surgical visit.

Your child has:

• pain, burning, or a stinging sensation when peeing
• a frequent urge to pee
• a fever
• lower back or belly pain
• pee that is smelly, cloudy, or bloody

Your child has severe pain.

What other problems can happen along with an ectopic ureter? Children with ectopic ureters often have a double (or duplicated) collecting system coming from the kidney. This means that instead of one ureter coming from that kidney, there are two. One may drain properly, while the other is ectopic. 

Some children also have vesicoureteral reflux, which is when urine flows back up toward the kidney instead of only going down toward the bladder.