“Kidney Disease & Children. Act Early to Prevent It” is the theme of World Kidney Day on March 10. The day aims to increase public awareness and provide education about kidney diseases. It also draws recognition to the tremendous psychosocial and economic burdens on children with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and their families.
Pediatric CKD has become more prevalent in the past 20 years, affecting about 5,600 U.S. children, according to the North American Pediatric Renal Transplant Cooperative Study database. An estimated 18.5 million to 58.3 million children worldwide have CKD, but estimates could be larger due to underreporting. In addition, about 2,000 children are receiving chronic dialysis in the U.S., and 716 received kidney transplants in 2014.
The increasing incidence of kidney disease also is being seen in lower socioeconomic populations. Many children may be at risk of kidney disease from an early age.
Pediatricians can support early detection of kidney disease and a healthy lifestyle in children to combat the increase in preventable chronic kidney damage and treat children with congenital and acquired kidney disorders.
Find practice resources, including posters and checklists on the signs of CKD, at http://www.worldkidneyday.org/. For patient education materials, visit the AAP Healthy Children website: http://bit.ly/1KdAsK5; National Kidney Foundation website: http://bit.ly/1SsVCqA; and National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases website: http://1.usa.gov/1X3leJD.