Kidney Diseases in Childhood
By: Mark MonteiroTotal Views: 96, Word Count: 541,
We all known that kidney plays a very important role in our body from childhood. Basically, it acts as a body's filtering system which helps to control the water levels and remove wastes through urine. As a result, it is necessary to control all the kidney diseases in childhood, so as to prevent complications. It also helps to regulate blood pressure, RBC production and calcium and mineral levels of the body. Sometimes, there are chances of some disorders in kidney which can lead to a severe problem in childhood. Here are some diseases that can take place in childhood due to kidney’s improper functioning.
Kidney Diseases in Childhood
Posterior Urethral Valve Obstruction
· This is recognized by narrowing or obstruction of the urethra which can affects only boys. It can be diagnosed easily before the baby is born.
· It can be operated with surgery
Fetal Hydronephrosis
· This condition is observed when the enlargement of one or both the kidneys takes place.
· This is caused due to difficulty in the developing urinary tract or due to condition known as vesicoureteral reflux.
· Fetal hydronephrosis in children can be diagnosed before the child is born
· In some cases, there is a requirement of surgery to clear the obstruction
Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD)
· In this type of condition, many fluid-filled cysts develop in the child’s kidneys.
· There are chances that these cysts get multiplied and grow so large that it can result in kidney failure.
· This form of kidney disease is inherited which can be diagnosed before birth and treated by kidney dialysis or transplant.
Multi Cystic Kidney Disease
· This type of disease produces when the large cyst is developing in the kidney.
· This can lead to halt in functioning of the kidney
· Usually, we can diagnose it before a baby is born
· Currently, there is no cure of this disease, but it can be managed preventing and treating infections or maintaining blood pressure.
Renal Tubular Acidosis
· In this type of disease, kidneys are unable to regulate the amount of acid in the body.
· This can result into kidney stones and affect a child's growth
· This can be treated with medications
Wilms Tumor
· This is a type of childhood cancer which involves kidneys in it
· This can be diagnosed within first 2 years of the child’s life and treated with surgery and chemotherapy.
Glomerulonephritis
· In this condition, infection of the glomeruli takes place, which are present in the nephrons.
· This can affect the kidney's ability to filter out waste properly leading to swelling or blood in the urine or reduced amount of urine production.
· This can be treated with dialysis, medications or kidney transplant
Along with all these, other kidney diseases in childhood include:
· Nephrotic syndrome
· Congenital problems with the urinary tract
· Duplication of the ureters
· Horseshoe kidney
· High blood pressure or hypertension
· Kidney stones
· Nephritis
· Urinary tract infections
From this we can conclude that it is very important to detect kidney diseases in childhood, so as to avoid its complications.
About the Author
Dr. Mark Monteiro is graduated from the Hazard University and done his MBA from the he University Of Illinois College Of Medicine. Currently he is working as general physician at Elmhurst Loyola Center for Health. For over 15 years he has been a pioneer in the field of physician health. He has contributed to the treatment of many diseases like- ASTHMA, TUBERCULOSIS, HIV, HEPATITIS AND ITS TREATMENT.
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