Urine Test: Calcium

What Is a Urine Test?

Testing a urine sample can help doctors find out what's going on when someone has an infection or other problem in kidneys, bladder, or other parts of the urinary tract.

To help your child get ready for a urine test, find out if they need to avoid any specific foods or activity before the test, or should stop taking any medicines.

Urine tests are painless. To help ease any fears, explain in simple terms how the test is done and why it's needed. Make sure your child understands that the urinary opening (urethra) must be cleaned as instructed and the pee must be collected midstream. Things like toilet paper or hair must not get in the sample.

What Is a Urine Calcium Test?

A urine calcium test can show how much of the mineral calcium is leaving the body in a child’s pee.

The doctor might prescribe a special diet with high or low levels of calcium for a few days before the test. Your child might need to temporarily stop taking specific medicines, such as antacids, that affect calcium levels in the urine.

Why Are Urine Calcium Tests Done?

Doctors order urine calcium tests to:

• help find the cause of kidney stones and other kidney problems
• look for overactivity or underactivity in the parathyroid glands (glands in the neck that make hormones that help control the level of calcium in the blood)
• monitor kidney disorders and diseases of calcium metabolism

The test results also may point to digestive disorders that make it hard for the small intestine to absorb nutrients. The urine calcium test is usually done along with other tests to make a specific diagnosis.

What if I Have Questions?

If you have questions about the urine calcium test, talk to your doctor.