Kidneys are a pair of organs in the abdomen that remove waste and extra water from the blood (as urine) and help keep electrolytes (such as sodium, potassium, and Calcium) balanced in the body.
The kidneys also make hormones that stimulate bone marrow to make red blood cells.
Kidney malformations occur from pregnancy which can also be prevented and treated to a greater extent if appropriately responded to.
Common Kidney problems seen in children are congenital anomalies, urinary tract infection, kidney stone disease, chronic kidney failure, acute kidney failure, haematuria, nephrotic syndrome, frequent urination, high blood pressure etc.
Acute kidney disease: Acute kidney disease starts suddenly. In some cases, it may be reversed and the kidneys can work normally again.
Chronic kidney disease: This type gets worse slowly over at least 3 months. It can lead to permanent kidney failure. Kidney failure can impact numerous physiological systems since the kidneys serve so many different purposes. There are numerous potential causes of kidney illness, including blood loss, medications, urinary obstructions, hereditary disorders, and infections.
Treatment options include medical management, dietary modifications, dialysis, surgery & transplant
Children aged between 0 to 19 yrs form about 34% of the population in Tamil Nadu. In adults major cause of kidney diseases are limited to uncontrolled high blood pressure and diabetes mellitus leading to chronic kidney failure or chronic kidney diseases. In children it is multifactorial. It could congenital abnormality, maternal disorder affecting the unborn baby, premature birth, low birth weight, genetic disease amplified by consanguineous marriage and a heavy load the kidney parenchyma per se involving the glomerulus, tubules and the interstitial tissues.
Morbidity and Mortality is high, why is it so?
Ignorance of the parents to recognize early symptoms.
Inadequate information of the physician attending the child.
- Poor laboratory assistance.
- Financial constraints for meeting the travel expenses and buy drugs.
- Working parents unable to obtain leave to take the child to medical centre.
- In advance kidney failure the cost of medical care is abominable.
- Parent’s need psychological, mental and financial support.
- The problem is wide but the avenue to solving it is narrow!