Early detection vital to prevent kidney disease in children

To raise awareness about the need for preventing kidney problems among children, over 150 people took part in the ‘health awareness walk’ organised by Rainbow Children’s Hospital to mark the World Kidney Day here on Thursday.

The ‘health awareness walk’ was flagged off by Vice chancellor of NTR University of Health Science T Ravi Raju, along with City Police Commissioner Gautam Sawang. Speaking on the occasion, Ravi Raju said that in children the symptoms of kidney disease are often non-specific, leading to late diagnosis.

"The leading causes of kidney failure in children are hereditary often lacking obvious indicators such as hematuria (red blood cells in the urine), hypertension (high blood pressure) or edema (swelling)," he said. Early diagnosis of chronic kidney diseases in children can help a child grow and develop normally.

Rainbow Children’s Hospital, vice-president R Subba Rao said that the primary purpose of the program was to promote awareness among the parents about the kidney disease in children. The incidence of the chronic kidney disease in children has steadily increased.

Additionally, kidney disease that becomes evident in adulthood may occur more often in persons with risk factors that can be detected in childhood, he added. School and college students, representatives of medical fraternity and early morning joggers took part in the walk by carrying placards.

They also distributed pamphlets to the public to create awareness. The health awareness walk started from the Benz circle and culminated with a meeting at the hospital premises near Currency Nagar.