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Demystifying kidney problems
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Children can contract a number of kidney related diseases. But they can be cured if treated at the right time.
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DISEASES IN children often go unnoticed, primarily because of lack of symptoms. Kidney disease is one such and if proper treatment is not provided at the right time it could lead to severe complications.
A talk on "Kidney diseases in children", organised by the Coimbatore Kidney Centre recently, threw light on how children get affected by the disease and its consequences. "Obstruction of pelvic ureteric junction and the posterior urethral valve is common among children. The tube that joins the pelvis and the ureter contracts and as a result the child finds it difficult to urinate," explained Dr P. Thirumalaisamy, Urologist at the centre.
"The pelvis extends like a balloon. After a certain period it will stop expanding and there will be no flow of blood. The kidney will soon become dysfunctional. In such cases the child should be operated upon immediately."
"Children are not affected by kidney ailments that are generally found in adults. If the complication is not severe they can be cured with continuous medication," he was confident.
Kidney diseases are also caused by birth defects and infections too affect its functioning. "One of the main reasons for urinary infections is lack of hygiene. The girl child is more prone to this," he observed.
What are the symptoms? Swelling of the feet and body, reduced urine output, high blood pressure, blood in urine, unexplained fever and growth retardation are some of the common symptoms. "In some cases there will be no symptoms. So, it is always better to take an ultrasound scan. If there are two or three complications, treatment takes time," he stated.
Nephritis and nephritic syndrome are the other complications that affect children. "Nephrotic syndrome, also a common ailment, causes maximum concern for the parents. There is no complete cure for the disease. It occurs due to high albumin content in the urine and will persist till the age of 15," said Dr. K. S. Ramalingam, a nephrologist.
What should the parents do? "Treat such children in a normal manner. Allow them to play and give them normal diet. If they contract other ailments, the parents must inform the urologist before going in for treatment," he advised.
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Metro Plus
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Chennai
Coimbatore
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