Most people have a false impression that kidney diseases affect only adults, while in reality children also suffer from many kidney diseases, doctors said at a programme on kidney diseases in children recently.
The doctors also said timely intervention can cure these diseases, or at least ensure better quality of life.
Some of the early signs that should alert parents or other family members about the possibility of an affected kidney are high blood pressure, frequent passing of urine, high volume of urine passing and frequent infection in the urinary tract, said doctors.
“Most people have a belief that kidney diseases impact only the adults. They think kidneys get affected with ageing, but that is not true. We want to create awareness among people that kidney diseases are there in children too and they can be treated,” said paediatrician Apurba Ghosh, the director of Institute of Child Health (ICH).
Rajiv Sinha, the head of paediatric nephrology at ICH said the hospital has currently 12 children — up to the age of 14 — admitted who are undergoing dialysis.
“Some of the early signs of a kidney disease area growth failure where the body weight of a child doesn’t increase properly. Other signs are improper urination where the flow is not good and the urine passes in drops. Frequent infection of the urinary tract is another sign. It is better to consult a doctor immediately if these signs are found in a child. It could be because of some problem in the kidney,” said Sinha.
Nephrotic syndrome, in which fluid accumulates in the body, is also a common ailment in children, he said.