Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is emerging as a health issue in children too, with the few available studies indicating that the prevalence in India is higher than that globally.
The condition is characterised by a reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate which means that each minute, glomeruli (tiny filters in the kidney through which the blood goes through) are filtering lesser blood, and increased secretion of albumin- the protein that regulates the balance of fluids in the body.
Though CKD’s most marked manifestation is kidney failure, it also impacts other organs.
In children, CKD may be due to congenital abnormalities, genetic diseases or disorders like glomerulonephritis (inflammation or damage of glomeruli).
It is also linked with abnormalities or inherited disorders like polycystic kidney disease (a condition in which cysts grow in the kidney).
The impact on other organs and systems can result in growth retardation, cardiovascular disease, bone disease and compromised immunity.
That apart, certain kinds of kidney cancers appear more frequently in children with CKD.
Dr Pradnya Harshe, consultant nephrologist and transplant physician, Bhailal Amin General Hospital, Vadodara, Gujarat said that CKD is responsible for chronic inflammation and oxidative stress, which is the imbalance between the body’s production of free radicals and its ability to neutralise them.
As the kidneys get injured, the body attempts to make up for it by raising cellular proliferation in order to fix tissues. Yet, uncontrolled cellular growth raises the danger of creating abnormal cells. Chronic exposure to toxins is also a causative factor.
The longer a child has CKD, the greater the likelihood of developing cancer at a young age. Advanced CKD children need either dialysis or a kidney transplant. Long-term dialysis has been reported by some research to raise the risk of kidney cancer through the exposure of kidney cells to toxins. CKD results in the build-up of uremic toxins, which not only damage kidney function but potentially also induce carcinogenic (cancer-causing) activity in the cells of the kidney.
He recommends early detection of kidney abnormalities through regular ultrasound and genetic testing in the case of families with a history of the disease. Proper diet and medication reduce inflammation and slow the pace of the disease.