Treatment of Kidney Failure in Children

The kidneys are a couple of bean-shaped organs present just below the ribcage, on either side of the spine. They filter our blood and flush out the waste in the form of urine. They also help maintain the balance of minerals in the body.

What is kidney failure?

Kidney failure or end-stage kidney disease means the kidneys cannot perform their functions. When that happens, the waste keeps building up and that can be fatal. Kidney failure sometimes happens to children and youngsters. There are several forms of treatment, which can counter kidney failure.

Treatment of kidney failure
Here are the conventional forms of treatment for kidney failure-

• Dialysis

There are two types of dialysis-

1. Haemodialysis- A catheter will be attached to your blood vessels which will connect your vessels to a dialysis machine. This machine draws your blood out, passes it through a dialyzer (a filter). The dialyzer does the work of the kidneys, cleanses the blood, and then sends it back to your blood vessels. The entire procedure takes around 3 hours.

This machine also ensures that blood pressure does not fluctuate during the procedure. Usually, children have to undergo haemodialysis at least four times every week. Smaller children may require more frequent dialysis sessions. Health care professionals can only perform this procedure in a dialysis facility.

2. Peritoneal dialysis: The doctor performs a small surgery, makes passage into the child’s abdomen and puts a catheter in it. One end of the catheter opens into the abdominal cavity and the other protrudes from the body. Through this end, the child or her/his parent will have to pour a solution of water and minerals into the cavity. This solution with the help of the peritoneum layer of your abdomen will filter the waste.

This procedure can be performed at home. Health care professionals train parents on how to perform the dialysis and to ensure that proper hygiene is maintained so that infection does not set in.

• Kidney transplant

This is a permanent solution to the menace of kidney failure. A healthy kidney from a donor is transplanted and affixed to the child, who has suffered kidney failure.

Kidney dialysis or transplantation despite some side effects can keep the child alive.