March 11, 2010
Barbara Fivush, M.D.
Nearly one
in six Americans over the age of 20 has chronic kidney disease and many of them
will go on to develop end-stage kidney disease, requiring dialysis and,
ultimately, a kidney transplant. Most people with kidney disease will start
developing their condition during childhood and adolescence, often silently and
without symptoms. March is kidney awareness month, and pediatric
nephrologists at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center want to remind parents that
timely detection of kidney problems in early childhood and adolescence is the
best way to curb kidney damage and even reverse some of it.
These telltale signs of
early kidney disease should prompt a visit to the doctor.
• Swelling
(even mild) of the hands and feet and/or puffiness around the eyes
• Decreased or increased frequency of urination
• Long-lasting changes in the color and appearance of urine (foamy
urine suggests the presence of protein)
• Headaches resulting from high blood pressure
“Kidney disease occurs more often than we
think, but it is also more treatable than we used to think, especially when
caught early,” says Barbara Fivush, M.D., director of pediatric nephrology at the Johns
Hopkins Children’s Center. “Children and adolescents should be monitored
carefully because kidney disease that seems to suddenly strike young adults
often has its roots in childhood.”
The exact
number of children with kidney disease in the United States remains unclear,
while our understanding of pediatric kidney disease lags behind our knowledge
of kidney disease in adults.
But pediatric
nephrologists Hopkins Children’s are on the forefront of research to improve
understanding of this stealthy killer. They are doing so by targeting different
aspects of this complex condition, from genetics to quality of life to environmental
factors that precipitate kidney disease.
“Kidney
disease, especially pediatric kidney disease, is daunting and complex because of
its many aspects and its many manifestations. It is really a constellation of
diseases,” Fivush says. “We must tackle each one individually.”
Here are a
few examples of the ongoing or latest research on kidney disease at Hopkins
Children’s: