children s health issues
Kidney Defects
Types of Kidney Defects
A number of birth defects may result in abnormal kidneys. Kidneys may be In the wrong location (ectopic kidneys) Rotated the wrong way (malrotation) Joined together (horseshoe kidney or fused kidneys) Missing (agenesis) Poorly functioning Containing fluid-filled sacs (cysts), such as in polycystic kidney disease and multicystic dysplastic kidney In the fetus, kidneys first develop in the pelvis and then move up and rotate into their normal location in the upper abdomen. If the kidneys are in the wrong place (ectopic kidneys) or are not rotated properly (malrotation), the normal drainage of urine from the kidneys through the Ureters (the tubes that transport urine from the kidneys to the bladder) to the Children who have blockage that causes frequent urinary tract infections or other problems may need surgery. However, many children do not have symptoms and thus may not need surgery. A horseshoe kidney is the most common fused kidney defect. In horseshoe kidney, the fetus's two kidneys join together into a single, horseshoe-looking shape. Because they are joined together, the kidneys do not usually move up and rotate into their normal location and also may not develop properly. Because of these factors, a horseshoe kidney may not drain properly, increasing the risk of urinary tract infections, kidney stones, and kidney damage. However, over half of children with a horseshoe kidney never have any symptoms. Children who have a horseshoe kidney may also have other birth defects. Horseshoe Kidney (Renal Fusion) (Congenital Aganglionic Megacolon) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdKt8kLGfVA) by Osmosis (https://open.osmosis.org/) is licensed under CC-BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). In some children, one or both of the kidneys may not develop at all (kidney agenesis). Children who are missing both kidneys cannot survive. In children who are missing only one kidney, the remaining kidney usually develops normally and often becomes bigger than normal to compensate for the missing one. In such cases, the child is expected to have a normal life expectancy and does not need any treatment. Sometimes a kidney does not form properly and may not function properly or at all (kidney dysplasia). When only one kidney functions properly, it may become bigger than normal to make up for the loss of function of the other kidney. Because all of the functions normally done by two kidneys can be carried out adequately by one healthy kidney, children who have only one functioning kidney often lead normal, healthy lives. However, if dysplasia is widespread and affects both kidneys, children may need treatment to replace the kidney function. That is, they will need a Kidney Transplantation or Polycystic kidney disease is a hereditary disorder in which many fluid-filled sacs (cysts) form in both kidneys. The kidneys grow larger but have less functioning tissue. There are several forms of polycystic kidney disease. One form, Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) , usually does not appear until adulthood and usually causes mild symptoms. is the rare form of this disorder that begins during childhood. In this disorder, the cysts become very large and cause serious illness. A severely affected newborn may die shortly after birth because kidney failure can develop before birth, leading to poor development of the lungs. The liver is also affected, and a child with this disorder tends to develop Portal Hypertension , or high pressure in the blood vessels that connect the intestine and the liver (portal system). Eventually, In polycystic kidney disease, many cysts form in both kidneys. The cysts gradually enlarge, destroying some or most of the normal tissue in the kidneys. Multicystic dysplastic kidney (MCDK) is the most common cyst-causing malformation of the kidneys in children. In MCDK, the kidney does not develop normally and instead has multiple fluid-filled sacs (cysts) that grow inside the kidney and take over the normal kidney tissue. The kidney does not function at all. MCDK typically affects only one kidney. If it affects both kidneys, the fetus dies. However, children who have only one affected kidney often have a good outlook, depending on what other abnormalities, if any, they have. Sometimes the unaffected kidney has other defects that can cause blockage of urine flow or reflux of urine. MCDK is usually detected during routine prenatal ultrasonography, and most children have periodic ultrasounds after birth to determine whether the unaffected kidney is functioning properly. The affected kidney almost always shrinks and disappears. If the kidney does not go away, doctors sometimes remove it later in childhood. Because the unaffected kidney usually becomes bigger over time to compensate for the affected one, children usually have normal kidney function. If children have urinary blockage that causes frequent urinary tract infections or other problems in the functioning kidney, they may need surgery. 