A group of 200 malnourished children and a control group of 118 well-nourished children were surveyed for bacteriuria and pyuria. The children were either ambulatory or hospitalized patients suffering from a variety of illnesses, but none had signs directly referable to urinary tract infection. Clean-voided specimens were obtained using a strict technique in the collections. Incidence of bacteriuria was found to be equally common in the two groups. Significant bacteriuria was found in 6 per cent of the malnourished group and in 4 per cent of the control group. The correlation between pyuria and bacteriuria was similar in the two groups. © 1973 The C. V. Mosby Company.