Kidney Stones in Children

Kidney stones, also known as nephrolithiasis or urolithiasis, were once thought to be a middle-age disease, but are now affecting children as young as five. Kidney stones in children are now becoming such a common occurrence that hospitals across the United States are opening units specifically for children with kidney stones. Kidney stones in children that are left untreated may lead to long-term kidney damage.

Causes

• The main cause of kidney stones in children is not drinking enough fluids and consuming too much salt, which increases the calcium oxalate in the urine. The kidney stones form when the substance becomes too concentrated, builds up in the kidneys, ureter and/or bladder and crystallizes.

Symptoms

• Children with kidney stones may have blood in their urine, nausea, vomiting, back pain and stomach pain that may range from mild to intense, as well as urgency to urinate and frequent urination. Children passing a kidney stone will experience severe pain in their side and/or stomach. Very young children who have kidney stones may not show obvious symptoms and are often diagnosed during an X-ray or other examination that has been performed for another medical reason.

Treatment

• Your pediatrician may try to let the kidney stone pass on its own if it is smaller than five millimeters. Any pain experienced while passing the stone at home is usually treated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen. Your child will also be required to increase fluid intake to help flush the stone. If there is a sign of infection or the stone is larger than nine to 10 millimeters and/or is blocking the flow of urine, your pediatrician will use minimally invasive surgery to remove the stone. Shock-wave lithotripsy uses high-energy sound waves to blast the stones into fragments that are easier to pass. Ureteroscopy is performed by inserting an endoscope into the ureter to retrieve or destroy the stone.

Prevention

• Drinking more water is the primary method of preventing kidney stones in children. Reduce your child's intake of popular sports drinks such as Gatorade, which can have high levels of sodium. Reduce your child's salt intake by monitoring all foods and drinks for salt amounts. Salt can be a hidden food additive in chips, lunch meats, packaged meals and canned soups that are popular choices for parents. Reducing the consumption of animal protein has also proved to reduce the risk of kidney stones in children.

Considerations

• Children who develop kidney stones have a significant chance of developing the disease again, and children with a family history of kidney stones have a 50% to 60% higher chance of developing the disease. If your child has already had kidney stones or your family has a history of kidney stones, make it a point to teach your children life-long prevention habits such as drinking plenty of water, eating a balanced diet that is low in salt and avoiding processed foods.

Warning

• Medications such as furosemide, acetazolamide and allopurinol can increase the formation of kidney stones. Children who are prone to the disease should be monitored closely while taking these and other medications that promote the development of urine crystals.