A Paediatric Nephrologist, Dr Christopher Esezobor, said on Thursday that one out of every 10 children admitted to a hospital due to an illness, had kidney problems.
Esezobor, who is a lecturer at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
He said that it was the reason kidney diseases were very common among children.
“For every 10 children we admit into this department of paediatrics, one has something to do with kidney problem; that is how common kidney problems are.
“So, even when a child comes down with severe malaria, the chances that the kidney may be affected is high.
“If a child comes down with infection, maybe, meningitis or pneumonia, and it is now spreading into the blood, the chances that the kidney will be affected is there.
“In all, one out of every 10 children that gets admitted because they are ill – it may not be the kidney disease that made them to be admitted, but during the cause of their illness – they have their kidneys not working very well.
“So, that is how common kidney disease in children.“
The paediatrician said that the commonest causes of acute kidney injury in children were malaria, diarrhea, and unorthodox or unprescribed drugs.
He said that other causes included congenital abnormalities at birth, nephrotic syndrome, and infections.
According to him, nephrotic syndrome is when the body of a child becomes swollen and the child loses a lot of protein through urination.
Esezobor urged parents to seek regular medical attention for their children to prevent kidney disorders.
“Commonly, we will let parents and even other health workers to suspect that a child may be having a kidney problem if the child is not making enough urine as the child used to make before.
“If the child is making too much urine, because it is the kidney that is making the urine, so if he is making too much, it may also be a sign of kidney problem.
“If the child’s urine, the colour is becoming red, it might mean the child has a kidney problem. “If the urine is looking cloudy, you cannot see through the urine, then the child may be having a kidney problem. “If the child is struggling to pee or the child is screaming, just to pee, it is possible that there is an obstruction to the flow of urine. “And if such is recognised, the parents must seek medical attention.” NAN.
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