Renal failure is a serious deviation in the work of paired organs. In this condition, the kidneys lose their ability to provide a normal exchange of fluids in the body. Symptoms of kidney failure in a child are usually characterized by a whole range of pathological changes that appear due to the partial or complete inability of the organs to do their job.
At a Glance
Most often this pathology is diagnosed in adults, and only occasionally the defect affects the children's body. Usually the disease is acquired, although there are genetic factors that contribute to its occurrence.
The primary symptom of kidney failure in a child is considered to be a decrease in the usual volume of urine or its complete absence.
Baby's body can not work with the constant accumulation of harmful toxins and waste products left after metabolism. In addition, he is unable to maintain a normal acid-base and water-s alt balance. That is why the defect requires immediate medical intervention, otherwise the risk of deathrises many times.
Common signs of kidney failure in children
The following clinical manifestations should become a cause for alarm and a visit to the doctor:
- reducing the amount of urine produced;
- clear swelling on the limbs and face;
- high body temperature;
- jaundice of integument;
- various poisoning-like disorders - fatigue, weakness, vomiting, lethargy, diarrhea, headache.
This is what the main symptoms of kidney failure look like in a child. Having identified such signs in a baby, immediately contact a specialist.
When conducting an appropriate diagnosis, the doctor may detect pathological changes in the test results, namely:
- proteinuria - the presence of proteins in the urine;
- stones or sand in urine - symptoms of urolithiasis at different stages.
The appearance of nephrotic syndrome, which is characterized by an increased amount of protein in the urine and a reduced amount in the bloodstream, as well as severe swelling, is a characteristic symptom of kidney failure in children, but almost never occurs in adults.
Acute form of pathology
Acute renal failure in children is a syndrome that most recently ended in death. Today the situation is different. There are effective methods of treatment that make it possible to reduce the number of negative consequences at times.
According to statistics, acutekidney failure occurs in approximately three children per million population. Approximately one third of all patients are infants. Dialysis is prescribed to one in 5,000 newborn babies. At the age of 1-5 years, this pathology is diagnosed in 4-5 children out of 100 thousand.
Acute deficiency is accompanied by severe intoxication of the body with metabolic products that are not excreted in the urine due to renal dysfunction.
Symptomatology of this type of defect develops rather quickly. For several years, the child has signs similar to manifestations of poisoning - the baby becomes lethargic, he is often sick, sometimes vomiting is observed. These symptoms of kidney failure in children are due to intoxication with nitrogenous metabolites and disturbances in water and electrolyte balance.
Parents should keep in mind that self-treatment of this form of pathology is simply unacceptable. By choosing this path, you can only aggravate the situation and worsen the general condition of the baby, but certainly not help him.
After a while, the symptoms of kidney failure in a child change. Before, the minimum diuresis increases again, and a decrease in the weight of the baby may occur. Then comes the phase that doctors call clinical recovery. During this period, the child almost completely disappears all signs of intoxication.
But do not rejoice and relax. After all, then the baby is waiting for another relapse - the pathological manifestations return again. Any symptoms of kidney failure in children under one year of age and older requireimmediate referral to a specialist and urgent hospitalization.
Chronic disease
This kind of pathology can appear as a result of the course of an acute form, and also be a consequence of infection of the urinary tract and organs. Often, a complicated genetic factor is the cause of kidney failure in children.
Abnormal changes occur over a long period and can lead to complete loss of kidney function.
Doctors conventionally divide the course of the disease into several stages:
- latent - not accompanied by pronounced symptoms;
- azotemic - a phase characterized by symptoms of intoxication and manifestations of other disorders, for example, in the digestive tract or cardiovascular system;
- decompensation - to everything else, local inflammation and swelling are added;
- terminal - in this phase, the only thing that can save the baby is hemodialysis or a he althy kidney transplant.
If the baby has minor disturbances in the activity of the kidneys or the excretory process, it is urgent to contact a pediatrician. If he finds any deviations, he will give a referral to narrow specialists.
Pathogenesis
Kidney damage is caused primarily by hypoxia, which accompanies asphyxia at the intrapartum stage. It is this condition that leads to abnormal neuroendocrine changes - increased renin production, hyperaldosteronism, increased concentrationantidiuretic hormone in the blood. These changes, in turn, entail a violation of renal perfusion. The child's condition is aggravated by metabolic acidosis and DIC, which are constant companions of hypoxia.
As a result of all these deviations, oligoanuria appears with characteristic metabolic failures. Gradually, the covers of the renal canals die off, which is accompanied by severe swelling of the kidney and the development of anuria. With vascular thrombosis, which occurs due to the introduction of hypertonic solutions into the canals of the umbilical cord, as well as against the background of a strong and fairly rapid weight loss, the entire kidney may die.
Reasons for appearance
Despite a significant increase in the number of newborns with urological pathologies, the development of renal failure is still very rare. Typically, such a pathology occurs in such abnormal conditions:
- complicated bilateral obstructive uropathy, regardless of the type of defect;
- kidney tissue dysplasia, most often echographically detected cysts;
- hypoplasia along with renal tissue dysplasia;
- severe inflammatory diseases - bilateral ureteritis, pyelonephritis, cystitis;
- unilateral pathological changes described above in the absence of the second kidney or its dysfunction.
In newborn babies, kidney failure may be of medicinal origin, which is associated with the useradiopaque agents and aminoglycosides. The influence of these drugs contributes to damage to the glomerular system of the kidneys.
Diagnosis
First of all, at the appointment, the doctor will collect all the necessary history from the words of the parents and the child himself, after which he will carefully examine the small patient to identify visual signs of kidney failure. Then, without fail, the baby is given a referral for general urine and blood tests.
Instrumental examinations can be used as auxiliary methods:
- ultrasound;
- ureteroscopy;
- cystoscopy.
In some cases, an additional biopsy of the affected kidney is performed.
In the diagnosis of renal failure in children, it is very important to detect a decrease in diuresis, azotemia and violations of the VEO. In addition, doctors with such a pathology always detect abnormal changes in urine, for example, a reduced concentration of creatinine and urea.
Among other things, this defect should be differentiated from functional renal failure. For this, stress tests are used:
- with vasodilators;
- with saluretics;
- with alkalinization of urine and water load.
Clinical guidelines for renal failure in children
In the treatment of an acute form of pathology, the main procedures are those aimed at cleansing the body of toxins accumulated in it and stabilizing a full-fledgedcirculation in organ tissues. For this purpose, drugs of various categories are used: diuretics, vasodilators, anti-shock drugs, as well as drugs to reduce blood viscosity.
Clinical recommendations for chronic renal failure in children under one year, as a rule, are reduced to the appointment of hemodialysis. The use of a special device for filtering blood - a synthetic kidney - will stop a variety of complications, including swelling of the brain and lung tissues, high blood sugar, too high blood pressure.
Children over 10 years of age are often recommended to attend plasmaphoresis sessions. These procedures allow you to purify the blood outside the body.
In chronic renal failure in children, clinical recommendations often involve the use of antibacterial drugs (Levofloxacin, Pefloxacin, Ciprofloxacin, Cefalotin, Ampicillin). This is necessary to reduce the risk of secondary infection, as well as to eliminate the existing infection. The use of glucose, potassium and electrolytes acts as maintenance therapy.
Keep in mind that chronic renal failure in children requires complex treatment, not only of the affected kidney, but also of concomitant defects.
Drug therapy
If the baby hassigns of the second or later stages of pathology in the form of intoxication, then hemodialysis sessions are mandatory. As for medicines, the most commonly used:
- Antacids. They play the role of symptomatic therapy. These are sodium bicarbonate, Andrews Antacid, Bourget, Inalan, Tams, Rennie.
- Mineral and vitamin supplements - calcium, B vitamins, vitamin D. These are Alfavit, Pikovit, Vitrum baby, Multi-tabs, Univit-kids.
- Iron supplements if anemia develops. Assigned "Hemoferon", "Heferol", "Venofer".
- Drugs aimed at lowering the concentration of phosphorus in the body. It is calcium carbonate, calcium citrate.
- Diuretics. They are necessary to stabilize the process of excretion of urine. Hypothiazid, Diakarb, Veroshpiron, Furosemide are often prescribed.
- Antihypertensive drugs - with concomitant hypertension. This is Concor, Atenolol.
If it is an advanced stage of chronic renal failure in children, as well as if the course of the disease is too severe, the only treatment option may be a he althy donor kidney transplant.
Folk recipes to eliminate symptoms
Of course, about the treatmentrenal failure in children with alternative means is out of the question. But in combination with physiotherapy and drug therapy, alternative remedies can be used to relieve some of the symptoms and improve the overall condition of the baby.
- General he alth drink. Mix in equal proportions raspberry branches, crushed rose hips and chopped blackcurrant leaves. Pour a tablespoon of the resulting mixture with 0.5 liters of boiling water. Prepared drink every day, give the child half a glass.
- Pomegranate juice. Of course, if possible, the baby should be given a freshly squeezed drink. Pomegranate juice helps to stabilize the disturbed water-s alt balance. It is advisable to give the baby a drink in a diluted form, adding a little warm water to it. The systematic use of this drink for two months will help strengthen the entire body.
- Decoction of wild rose and pomegranate. Grind the berries and pomegranate peel, combine the ingredients in equal proportions. Then pour the mixture with boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Let the broth cool and strain through a fine sieve or cheesecloth. You can speed up the process of making the product by letting it brew in a thermos instead of boiling. The prepared decoction should be given to the child throughout the day in small portions.
Conclusion
Kidney failure and other malfunctions of this organ are not in vain considered a very serious and dangerous disorder that can lead to death or the need for transplantation. That's why you shouldn'tignore the symptoms of pathology systematically appearing in the child.
Don't forget that a timely visit to the doctor can ensure the correct diagnosis and, accordingly, treatment. In addition, only with this approach can one count on minimal complications of the disease for the child's body.
Equally important is the observance of all medical instructions in the treatment of various infections in the baby's body. After all, it is these diseases that often lead to the development of dangerous renal failure.
But even if your baby has been prescribed hemodialysis, you should not panic. After all, according to statistics, most cases of treatment of acute and chronic renal failure had a successful outcome. The only important thing is to follow all the instructions of the specialist exactly.
