“Should I be concerned about kidney conditions in my son?”
My son is only 7 years old, but kidney conditions very heavily run in both sides of the family. Is it possible for a child this young to be affected?
2 Answers
There are many hereditary kidney conditions that run in families. The most common condition would be autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. This is characterized by cyst formation in both kidneys which slowly lead to kidney failure, typically in the 4th to 6th decade of life. This is inherited with a 50% chance from generation to generation and could be diagnosed in your 7-year old son with a kidney ultrasound. It would be helpful to make the diagnosis early because there are now treatments available that may slow progression of chronic kidney disease, including treatment of high blood pressure and tolvaptan. Polycystin I and II gene mutations have been associated with this disorder.
There are other hereditary kidney diseases to consider, for instance, Alport syndrome. This disorder is variable and different genes are implied, which can be tested through a tertiary paediatric nephrology centre. Sometimes patients have hearing loss as well, and occasionally the cornea of the eye may be involved. While there is no specific treatment for this disorder, early treatment may be helpful to slow progression of renal disease.
Certain anomalies of the kidneys and urinary tract may also be hereditary. You will likely have undergone antenatal ultrasounds, and if they were normal, there is probably no concern about this.
There are a number of other conditions that are also genetic, and it would be too long to list them all. Your local paediatric nephrologist can counsel you. Many can be diagnosed early. However, knowledge about the kidney problems in your family will be extremely helpful. By far the most common reason for kidney failure is diabetes mellitus which is poorly controlled. If that is the reason for your family history, and your son does not have diabetes mellitus, then there is nothing to worry about.
There are other hereditary kidney diseases to consider, for instance, Alport syndrome. This disorder is variable and different genes are implied, which can be tested through a tertiary paediatric nephrology centre. Sometimes patients have hearing loss as well, and occasionally the cornea of the eye may be involved. While there is no specific treatment for this disorder, early treatment may be helpful to slow progression of renal disease.
Certain anomalies of the kidneys and urinary tract may also be hereditary. You will likely have undergone antenatal ultrasounds, and if they were normal, there is probably no concern about this.
There are a number of other conditions that are also genetic, and it would be too long to list them all. Your local paediatric nephrologist can counsel you. Many can be diagnosed early. However, knowledge about the kidney problems in your family will be extremely helpful. By far the most common reason for kidney failure is diabetes mellitus which is poorly controlled. If that is the reason for your family history, and your son does not have diabetes mellitus, then there is nothing to worry about.
That depends on the type of kidney condition running in the family. What type of kidney conditions does your family have?
