DNA India
11 March 2011
By Nozia Sayyed
Pune, India

Children suffering from kidney diseases have been finding it difficult to get donors unlike adult kidney patients who require transplants. Unwillingness on the part of the parents to accept the child’s condition and their failure to report it early enough are among the main reasons, say nephrologists.

On the occasion of World Kidney Day, consultant nephrologist at Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital, Dr Tushar Dighe, said that of the approximate 100 cases of kidney diseases that are reported in a month, almost 10% constitute paediatric kidney diseases.

This trend has seen a rise in the last five years, although there is no adequate data on the prevalence of kidney diseases among children. It is estimated that in Pune alone, around 4,000 patients with kidney damage requiring transplants are detected every year.

In many cases, it has been observed that parents fail to accept the child’s end stage kidney condition and refuse to let him/her undergo a transplant or even dialysis. This is because of lack of awareness among the masses.

Paediatric nephrologist at Bharati Vidyapeeth Hospital, Dr Jyoti Sharma said that in adults, kidney diseases can be triggered due to lifestyle disorders like diabetes or hypertension. However, in children, it can be due to the congenital nephrotic syndrome or urological problems.

According to Sharma, the extent of prevalence of kidney diseases among Indian children is not known. However the Indian Society of Paediatric Nephrology, in collaboration with the Indian Society of Nephrology, has initiated a chronic kidney disease (CKD) registry to collect and record information regarding children suffering from chronic kidney diseases.

The objective is to collate information about CKD in Indian children for advocacy in improving the situation. So far, out of the 700 registered kidney diseases patients at Bharati Hospital’s paediatric nephrology department, 50% children underwent surgery due to some or the other urological problem. And most of them required transplant, added Sharma.

Sharma also said that once a child undergoes a transplant, s/he requires a lengthy follow-up procedure. Since the transplanted kidney’s life is only about 10 years, another transplant is required.

Paediatric kidney disorders can be prevented if the abnormality in the organs of the child is detected through an ultrasound carried out in antenatal tests.

As Dr Manoj Matnani, consultant paediatric nephrologists at King Edward Memorial Hospital (KEM) Hospital, said, “KEM gets at least two or three cases of chronic kidney diseases in the paediatric age group and almost 80% are of the end stage requiring dialysis and transplant. This can be avoided if renal diseases are detected early in children. Parents should take the child to the doctor early. For this, there is a need to bring about awareness about paediatric nephrology and kidney diseases.”