Is hydronephrosis serious in children?

Hydronephrosis is more serious in children. Because children are relatively young, hydronephrosis at this time will often affect their growth and development, and pose a greater threat to their kidney function. If it is not treated well or the child's condition is more serious, it will often lead to renal failure, stones will form, frequent urinary tract infections, etc. Let’s take a look at this aspect.

Is hydronephrosis serious in children?

Nephrologists say that when children have urine stagnation, they may experience back and abdominal pain or bloating, nausea, vomiting, and decreased urine volume. When the obstruction is relieved, the pain disappears and a large amount of urine is excreted. The harm of hydronephrosis in children, when it leads to renal dysfunction, manifests as symptoms of chronic renal failure such as loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, anemia, etc.

Renal atrophy is the main hazard of hydronephrosis. Due to the obstruction of urine excretion, the renal pelvis enlarges, the intrarenal pressure increases, and the blood vessels of the renal tissue are compressed, resulting in progressive ischemic atrophy and destruction of the kidneys and impaired renal function. In children with severe hydronephrosis, the kidneys become large, non-functional sacs. In mild hydronephrosis, the renal pelvis shape can be restored after the obstruction is relieved, but in severe hydronephrosis, the atrophied renal tissue is difficult to repair.

Stone formation is also a danger of kidney stones in children. Stones block the urethra and cause hydronephrosis; hydronephrosis in turn induces stone formation. The two are mutually causal, and the infected bacteria, pus balls, and necrotic and detached tissue cells become the core of stone formation. In particular, salt crystals in infected urine precipitate and accumulate to form stones.

The harm of hydronephrosis in children also manifests itself in the formation of giant hydronephrosis. Because the renal parenchyma is very thin and the tension within the kidney is too great, it is easy to cause traumatic rupture or spontaneous tension rupture, complicated by acute peritonitis, which seriously threatens life safety.

Precautions for children with hydronephrosis

1. To prevent bilateral hydronephrosis in infants, energy intake should be increased, but in order to avoid increasing the burden on the hydronephrosis kidneys, it is not advisable to eat too much protein-rich food. Energy intake mainly depends on carbohydrates and fat foods.

2. If a child has hydronephrosis, he or she can drink water if it is unilateral hydronephrosis, but if it is bilateral hydronephrosis, it is best to control water intake to avoid putting a greater burden on the kidneys.

3. If the child does not have edema, he can do moderate exercise, which can help water metabolism, promote the body's excretion and absorption of water, and effectively prevent bilateral hydronephrosis in infants.

4. Children with hydronephrosis should use health-care drugs with caution. Medication generally cannot cure hydronephrosis, but in order to prevent secondary infection and renal insufficiency, treatment should be continued. It cannot cure the disease, but it can provide relief.

5. Medical treatment: How should children with hydronephrosis be cared for and treated? To prevent bilateral hydronephrosis in infants, antibacterial Chinese medicine and antibacterial drugs that can clear away heat and detoxify can be used.