The immune system of a child's body is not yet sufficiently developed as in adults. Therefore, it is vulnerable to the effects of most pathogenic microorganisms. After the birth of a child, a very young organism, which began to form even in the womb, continues to develop gradually, and the kidneys complete this process only by 1.5 years. Over time, immunity will return to normal, but for now there is a risk of developing kidney disease in children.
Usually at this time, the child begins to show characteristic signs, but in some cases such diseases are asymptomatic, which can lead to various complications. For this reason, parents need to know how a particular disease manifests itself in order to take appropriate measures in a timely manner.
The structure of the urinary tractsystems
Our kidneys are natural filters. Blood is pumped through these organs, being cleansed of various toxic compounds (from the outside or as a result of the metabolic process). Together with urine, they are excreted from the body.
The kidneys are bean-shaped and are located on both sides of the spinal column in the lumbar region. Outside, they are covered with adipose tissue, under which there is a fibrous capsule. Urine is formed in the parenchyma, and then it enters the bladder through special channels, and from there it leaves the body through the urethra.
The bladder does not fill immediately, but over time. The urge to urinate appears when the "storage" is more than half full. But if the nervous regulation is disturbed, urinary tract dysfunction can occur.
Therefore, in order to avoid the development of diseases of the kidneys and urinary tract in children, it is extremely important to maintain an optimal balance of the internal environment of the body. Only in this case, the metabolism takes place in working mode, without deviations, blood cells are formed.
At what age does the disease appear?
Many parents are interested in this question - at what age do children begin to manifest themselves? As mentioned above, the kidneys in a child are formed by 1.5 years. The urinary system of the fetus, while it is still developing in the womb, does not work at full capacity. In terms of size, the organs in babies are very small and only by the age of 6 months they acquire normal dimensions.
Often, the disease makes itself felt at critical periods in the development of the child's body. There are only three of them:
- Period - from birth to 3 years. This time is the most dangerous in relation to the development of urinary tract disorders. If parents had similar problems, congenital kidney diseases in children are just now starting to appear. At the moment, the final adaptation of the child's body to the new living conditions is taking place.
- Period - 5-7 years. This moment is associated with certain age-related changes that occur in a child's still quite young body. For this reason, many of his internal systems, including the genitourinary system, are not very resistant to attack by pathogens.
- The period is considered adolescence - 14-18 years. Violation of the functionality of the urinary system at this time is due to rapid growth along with changes in hormonal levels.
Those children whose parents suffer from pyelonephritis, or who have obvious endocrine disorders, are most at risk. In this case, mothers and fathers need to especially closely monitor the he alth of their child. This will allow timely detection of alarming "bells", because the sooner this happens, the more successful the treatment will be.
Symptomatics
In most cases, kidney disease in a child will be able to identify the local pediatrician. The doctor, after listening to the complaints of the young patient, writes out referrals for the necessary tests, after which a diagnosis is made and the necessary course of therapy is selected.
Although in some cases the symptoms of the diseasekidneys in children are secretive or it all starts with signs of a cold, there are characteristic signs that are hard to miss. Caring and attentive parents are able to notice a number of changes:
- Increased body temperature.
- Baby feels pain when urinating, as can be seen from crying.
- Nausea, vomiting.
- The color of urine has changed - it has become a dark shade with flaky impurities.
- Puffiness of the face, which is especially noticeable in the morning after the child wakes up.
- Urine incontinence or retention.
- Child complains of constant thirst and dry mouth.
- "Bags" under the eyes.
And because some cases of kidney disease can be hidden, you need to monitor your child more closely and, just in case, not lose sight of any changes in his well-being.
The manifestation of the disease in children under one year old
Small children, due to their very young age, will not be able to directly tell their parents that something is bothering them. For this reason, adults should be doubly careful. What should alert moms and dads, and how to suspect kidney disease in children under one year old?
First of all, kidney dysfunction changes the color and smell of urine. It is also worth paying attention to the increase in the tummy of the crumbs. Regarding boys, a weak jet should also be a cause for concern. At the same time, this is typical in the case of phimosis.
It is important to remember that any warning sign associated withkidney disease, should not be left without due attention. Otherwise, it threatens the most unpredictable consequences for the he alth of the child. For example, congenital pathology or diseases of the urinary tract, occurring in a chronic form, can lead to a significant lag in terms of child development.
But besides this, complications after chronic diseases can be more formidable - acute renal failure. And this phenomenon is already endangering not only the he alth of the crumbs, but also his life.
Varieties of Kidney Disease in Children
In pediatrics, kidney diseases in children are called in their own way. In medical practice, there are more than 30 types of a variety of pathologies in relation to the kidneys and urinary system. And almost most of them occur in children of different age categories. In this article, we will only touch on the most common diseases.
Deterrent Issues
Here we are talking about such cases:
- Urinary incontinence.
- Incontinence.
- Enuresis.
The first two cases are at first glance the same and consonant with each other, but at the same time they have significant differences. A disorder such as incontinence is that the child cannot hold back the fluid in the bladder without experiencing obvious urges. This phenomenon causes significant discomfort not only to him, but also to his parents. Just keep in mind that the child acquires control over urination only by 1-2 years. Until now, such a diagnosis has not been made.
BIn case of incontinence, the child feels the urge, but is not able to hold back urine and does not have time to run to the toilet.
In the case of kidney disease in children, such as enuresis, urine is not retained by the child at night. That is, in the daytime, if necessary, the child can go to the toilet in the usual and normal mode. However, his bed is usually wet in the morning. In the absence of proper therapy, this type of disorder can persist for the entire life of the child, which is highly undesirable.
Expansion of the renal pelvis
It is the pathological state that is implied, since there is also a physiological state. During the period of intrauterine development of the child, the kidneys are not yet able to fully function and all tasks are taken over by the placenta. But in the pelvis of the kidneys, a small amount of urine is still collected, and for this reason, even before the birth of the child, they expand. This is the normal physiology of the child, the condition passes just in time for 1.5 years.
However, there may be cases of pathological enlargement of the renal pelvis, which have a variety of causes. We are talking about reflux, in accordance with which urine is thrown back into the kidney from the ureter. It is also worth considering the abnormal development of these organs. This is also the cause of kidney disease in children.
All young children, without exception, during the first month of life, it is highly recommended to have an ultrasound of the kidneys. And in the case when the physiological expansion of the pelvis is revealed, the situation should be kept under control. For this, everythree months you need to undergo a re-examination. This will allow you to detect any violations in a timely manner and take the necessary measures.
Infectious processes
Among all diseases, cases of an infectious nature are much more common. According to medical practice, every third child suffered from such a problem. In the list of frequency of occurrence, these diseases are ranked second after respiratory infectious diseases.
There are several types of urinary tract infections:
- Cystitis - an inflammatory process affecting the bladder.
- Urethritis - inflammation of the membrane of the urethra.
- Pyelonephritis is a kidney disease in children when organ tissues become inflamed.
In addition, the urinary tract may contain pathogenic microorganisms (bacteria) that do not manifest themselves. Moreover, they penetrate into the urinary system along the ascending path. That is, their primary location is the perineum and genitals, after which the bacteria reach the bladder through the urethra, and from there they penetrate the kidneys.
Due to the physiological structure of the genital organs of girls, they are more likely than boys to be at risk of developing infectious diseases of the urinary system. This is due to the fact that the female urethra is wider and shorter, which contributes to the unhindered movement of bacteria.
It is for this reason that the personal hygiene of girls requires a special approach. At the same time, it is importantcorrectly carry out washing procedures - from front to back in order to avoid infection from the anus to the genitals of the crumbs. When the girl reaches a certain age, the mother will have to teach her daughter to carry out such manipulations on her own.
Kidney failure
Signs of kidney disease in children may be associated with partial or complete loss of their functionality. But it all depends on the severity of the manifestation. As a result of complete kidney dysfunction, this threatens with a more formidable complication - acute renal failure. This condition puts the child's life at risk and requires immediate medical attention.
With this pathology, the electrolyte balance is disturbed, and uric acid accumulates in the plasma, and in a fairly large amount. Doctors distinguish two forms of kidney failure - chronic and acute. The first type is rather a complication of other diseases of a similar form (pyelonephritis, diabetes mellitus, congenital anomalies of the kidneys and urinary tract).
As for an acute condition, it is usually the result of exposure to toxic substances or a consequence of non-compliance with the dosage of medications.
Nephroptosis
This kidney disease in children is associated with the mobility of the kidney, that is, when it is not fixed in a certain position. Popularly, this is called a prolapsed kidney or a vagus organ.
The most dangerous thing is when the kidney goes down. Because of this, the risk of turning the organ around itsaxes. Such torsion leads to stretching and bending of blood vessels, which in turn threatens to disrupt the blood circulation of the kidneys.
Due again to female physiology, girls are more at risk than boys.
High s alt levels in urine
When a child's metabolism is disturbed in the body, in most cases the number of s alt crystals in the urine increases. Often these are phosphates, urates and oxalates. But, in addition to metabolic disorders, this is facilitated by the wrong diet of the child, during which the kidneys cannot cope with the dissolution of s alt.
Urine oxalate concentrations are rising due to excessive consumption of foods rich in vitamin C and oxalic acid:
- spinach;
- beets;
- celery;
- parsley;
- sour apples;
- currant;
- radish;
- cocoa;
- chocolate;
- cottage cheese;
- broths.
Saturation with purine bases leads to an increased content of urates, which also disrupts the water-s alt regimen of children with kidney diseases. This is achieved through the use of liver, broths, pork, fatty fish, sardines, tomatoes, strong tea, acidic mineral water. As for phosphates, there are a lot of them if the diet contains foods that are rich in phosphorus:
- cheese;
- fish;
- caviar;
- cereals (barley, buckwheat, oatmeal, millet);
- peas;
- beans;
- alkaline mineral water.
But the ongoing changestemporary, and if you adjust your child's menu in a timely manner, the composition of urine will normalize in a short time. At the same time, this issue should by no means be ignored!
In the event that the child continues to eat such food, the risk of sand or stones increases, not only in the kidneys, but also in the bladder. And urolithiasis is a rather serious and unpleasant disease that requires a long and complex course of therapy.
Diagnosis of kidney disease in children
To make a diagnosis, a visual examination of the patient is carried out with the study of his medical record. After that, the doctor prescribes a number of hardware and laboratory tests:
- General urinalysis - it can be used to determine the presence of a sediment of s alts, blood particles, erythrocytes. These data will acquaint the doctor with the functioning of the urinary system of a sick child. For the reliability of the results, urine should be collected in a clean container, after thoroughly washing the child. Teenage girls should not pass urine during their period.
- Complete blood count - this study will show whether inflammatory reactions pass in the child's body, as well as signs of general intoxication of the body.
- Ultrasound of the kidneys - allows you to detect the presence of sand and stones, as well as congenital anomalies of these organs.
In some cases, a biochemical blood test, biopsy, CT, MRI is performed. After listening to complaints from parents and the child himself,the doctor makes a diagnosis, after which he selects the appropriate course of treatment, based on all the data of the anamnesis and the studies carried out.
Treatment of kidney disease in children
After the diagnosis and research is made, therapy begins. In this case, it all depends on what exactly the tests show. If the disease is mild, then treatment can be carried out at home, otherwise only a hospital.
The use of medicines depends entirely on a number of factors: the age of the young patient, the clinical picture, the severity of the pathology. These can be such drugs:
- When an infectious disease develops, antibiotics or uroseptics are prescribed.
- Hypotensive as well as diuretics can lower blood pressure (if necessary).
- Nephrotic syndrome can be treated with glucocorticosteroids.
- In the event that the cause of the problem lies in the abnormal structure of the kidneys, surgery will be required.
It is worth considering that kidney diseases are dangerous for the child, and although they can be treated, they are difficult. During the recovery period, parents should carefully consider the nutrition of their child. The amount of s alt consumed should not exceed 5 grams per day.
In addition, diet therapy for kidney disease in children should include the following. Meat and foods that are rich in proteins should be discarded, as they are very stressful.kidneys. Better pay attention to something else:
- potato;
- fish;
- poultry meat;
- dairy products;
- eggs;
- meat broths.
True, they should be consumed in limited quantities. Fresh fruits, vegetables, berries will also be useful. There will be no harm from flour products, but this is also a source of carbohydrates. Drinking food with freshly squeezed juices, fruit drinks, compotes.
