Kidney Disease in Children

Our pediatric nephrologists care for the full range of acute and chronic pediatric kidney conditions, including:

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD): CKD is a condition where there is a gradual loss in kidney function. Chronic kidney disease in children may be caused by hereditary diseases or as a result of systemic disorders. Treatment focuses on controlling symptoms, preventing complications, and slowing progression of CKD. If needed, we have an experienced team to transition care to dialysis or transplant while providing patient- and family-centered care.
Hypertension: High blood pressure in children can be the cause or the result of kidney disease. We provide a comprehensive evaluation to identify the cause of hypertension. A personalized treatment plan can effectively manage this condition and prevent life-threatening complications, such as stroke, heart failure and kidney injury. We use advanced diagnostic equipment for 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, which allows us to monitor the blood pressure continuously, even while your child is asleep.
Urinary Tract Infections (UTI): UTIs occur when bacteria enter the bladder or the kidneys. Infections can damage children's kidneys in many ways. The most common causes of UTIs in children include birth defects, not urinating enough throughout the day, nervous system illnesses and vesicoureteral reflux (a backward flow of urine from the bladder into the kidneys). Our pediatric nephrologists are experienced in diagnosing and treating kidney infections and preventing future infections.
Nephritis and Nephrosis (nephrotic syndrome): Kidney diseases in children may involve abnormal function of the microscopic filtering units that normally work to clean the blood of waste products, excess fluid and other substances. Disorders of the filtering units can lead to loss of protein in the urine, resulting in nephrosis. Inflammatory changes of these filters leads to nephritis, which can correlate with high blood pressure, swelling (edema) and lowered kidney function. Our pediatric nephrologists diagnose the underlying causes of these diseases and provide expert care to treat these disorders with a goal of preventing long-term kidney damage and kidney failure.
Kidney Stones: Kidney stones in children may occur due to metabolic disorders, genetic conditions, or other underlying medical problems. Our experienced team can determine the cause of kidney stones and recommend therapy aimed at preventing their recurrence. We provide a team approach for each child by coordinating care with pediatric urology, radiology and multiple other specialties.
Congenital Anomalies of Kidney and Urinary Tract (CAKUT): CAKUT refers to conditions that involve abnormal kidneys and urinary tracts. These conditions are the most common cause of kidney failure in children, especially those younger than 5 years old. We also provide consultation for expectant mothers when these disorders are diagnosed on prenatal ultrasound.
Hereditary Kidney Diseases: Hereditary kidney diseases in children occur in children due to genetic abnormalities. We coordinate care of each family with our genetics specialists to provide state-of-the-art diagnosis and treatment. Our pediatric nephrologists are experienced in treating a range hereditary kidney diseases in children, such as congenital nephrotic syndrome, cystinosis, polycystic kidney diseases and atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome, to name a few.