Paediatric Nephrology

What is Paediatric Nephrology?

The kidneys are organs in our body that are very important in controlling our blood pressure, growth, bone development, vitamin D metabolism and how we remove some waste products from our body. Urine is produced in the kidneys, flows down the ureters and then into the bladder for storage before we need to “pee”. Problems can occur in all of these areas in how urine is produced, how it flows from the kidney to the bladder and also how we pass urine. Paediatric nephrology is the treating of diseases that are related to all of these parts, that is the kidneys, urinary tract and bladder and the problems that occur when they don’t work properly, aren’t developed properly or are affected by other illnesses.

As a kidney specialist (Paediatric Nephrologist) we manage all things related to this including urinary tract infections, high blood pressure, urine incontinence (daytime wetting) and bed wetting (nocturnal enuresis), kidney diseases including inflammation of the kidneys and filters within the kidneys (glomerulonephritis) where they leak blood and protein (nephrotic syndrome) and can lead to kidney failure. We treat and diagnose kidney disease that is inherited (genetic) and kidney disease in small premature babies. Sometimes we will talk to mums who are pregnant and there is a problem seen on the antenatal ultrasound with the babies kidneys.

When the kidneys don’t function as they should we work to help the family and child manage their kidney problems and assist them until we can find alternative options such dialysis or a kidney transplant – this does not happen very often.

Kidney specialists also ask for help and work very closely with kidney and bladder surgeons called urologists as sometimes a kidney problem may need an operation. A kidney specialist and urologist would talk together if we felt that an operation was required and work closely with you to decide on what is the best option for your child.

Conditions Treated

• Urinary Tract infections

• Hypertension in children & adolescents

• Day & Night-time wetting problems

• Nephrotic Syndrome

• Kidney Function/electrolyte disturbances

• Hydronephrosis, vesicoureteral reflux and other congenital abnormalities