Kidney problems typically underpin numerous other health complications in children, including high blood pressure and arrested growth, many of which become manageable through focused nutrition. According to the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse, the annual rate of kidney failure among those 19 and under equals one or two new cases in every 100,000 children. The risk steadily increases as children age. Birth defects and heredity principally cause chronic kidney diseases. Underlying illnesses such as lupus and diabetes sometimes manifest kidney problems in children also.
Function
Kidneys perform multiple vital functions in the body. Besides waste removal, the kidneys also stabilize the levels of chemicals such as potassium and sodium, regulate blood pressure, produce the hormones necessary for bone development, and generate new red blood cells, according to the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse.
Considerations
According to the National Kidney Foundation, the nutritional needs of a pediatric kidney patient differ according to how well his kidneys function on their own, if he is on dialysis, and if he has had or will have a kidney transplant. Dialysis, for example, becomes necessary once children have lost 85 to 90 percent of their kidney function: it removes waste, excess water, and salt from the child's body; maintains a safe level of certain blood chemicals such as bicarbonate, and adjusts the child's blood pressure. Often a child's appetite decreases during kidney failure, so adequate nutrition becomes paramount. Often phosphorus and protein intake will be restricted before and during dialysis. Many children with kidney disease utilize the services of a dietitian trained in pediatric renal nutrition.
Growth Problems
Children with kidney problems tend to be smaller than their peers, and often experience growth retardation. According to a pediatric nutrition clinical practice guideline published in the "American Journal of Kidney Diseases," insufficient calorie and protein ingestion and resistance to growth-mediating hormones all contribute to arrested growth. Infants and younger children encounter the greatest risk of growth impairment due to the caloric deficiency and abnormal protein metabolism characteristic of chronic kidney disease. The guideline shows that malnourished children with chronic kidney disease experience improved growth through nutritional intervention and supplementation.
High Blood Pressure
Some children afflicted with chronic kidney disease also develop high blood pressure. This is especially true, according to the National Kidney Foundation, in African American children, overweight children, children whose family history includes high blood pressure and diabetic children. The nutritional needs of these children focus on limiting and controlling salt and caloric intake.
Anemia
Often children with kidney diseases acquire anemia. Poor or non-existent appetite, plus ebbing energy levels, manifest regularly in children with anemia and low blood counts. Therefore nutritional supplementation of iron and erythropoietin -- a hormone responsible for red blood cell production -- becomes necessary.
References
- National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse: Overview of Kidney Diseases in Children
- National Kidney Foundation: Nutrition For Children With Chronic Kidney Disease
- "American Journal of Kidney Diseases"; KDOQI Clinical Practice Guideline for Nutrition in Children with CKD: 2008 Update; National Kidney Foundation; March 2009
- National Kidney Foundation: High Blood Pressure and Chronic Kidney Disease in Children: A Guide for Parents
