Nephrotic Syndrome In Children, Body Swelling Can Be An Early Sign Of Kidney Damage

Illustration of nefrotic syndrome (Freepic)

JAKARTA - Nephrotic syndrome is a chronic kidney condition that is quite serious and can affect children, especially those aged between 1 to 6 years.

This condition is characterized by a large amount of protein leakage into the urine due to damage to small filtrations in the kidneys (glomerulus). This syndrome can cause body swelling (edema), increased risk of infection, and other serious complications.

Although nephrotic syndrome can attack all ages, children are the group most frequently diagnosed for the first time, and most respond well to steroid treatment. However, in a small part of children, this condition is congenital (congenital) and can lead to kidney failure.

Reporting from the NHS page, nephrotic syndrome is a collection of symptoms that arise due to protein leakage from blood to urine due to gglomerulus damage. This causes:

- Blood protein content decreases, especially albumin.- Swelling (edema), usually first appears around the eyes, then spreads to the legs and the whole body.- Urin foams due to high protein content. - Decreased endurance due to loss of antibodies in urine. - Increased risk of blood clots due to clotting protein is also released through urine.

General Symptoms

Some of the signs and symptoms that need to be considered include:

- Body swelling (edema) Usually starts from around the eyes, then spreads to the leg, stomach, and whole body.- Color changes and urine characteristics look foamy because they contain protein. The urine volume can also decrease during the relapse period.- Easily exposed to infection The loss of antibody protein in the urine causes the body's resistance to decrease. - The risk of blood clotting increases The loss of anticoagulant protein (anti-freezing) can cause complications such as thrombosis.

Cause

In children, most cases of nephrotic syndrome are caused by minimal change (Minimal Change Disease / MCD). This means that the kidney tissue appears normal under ordinary microscopy, but shows abnormalities when viewed with electron microscopy.

The cause of MCD is still unknown with certainty, but it is likely related to abnormal immune response. Other causes include glomerulosklerosis (streaked and damaged kidney networks), glomerulonefritis (glomerulus inflammation), infection (HIV, hepatitis B/C), autoimmune diseases such as lupus, diabetes mellitus, sickle cell anemia, and certain cancer (leukemia, lymphoma) in children.

Handling

Call the doctor immediately if the child is exposed to airpox orfermiology and has not been immunized. In addition, you must also contact a doctor if the child has a high fever, vomiting, or severe diarrhea. Nephrotic congenital is caused by a congenital genetic disorder. Children with this condition need:

- Periodic albumin infusion- Monitoring of growth and development on a regular basis- Requires hospitalization or parental training for home care

If the kidneys continue to worsen, the child may need surgery to remove the kidney to stop the protein leak. In addition, children also need to be analyzed for kidney, kidney transplant, and vaccination. Children with nephrotic syndrome are recommended to get a pneumokokus vaccine and a waterpox vaccine (when they are not recurred).

Nephrotic syndrome in children is a serious disease but can be controlled by proper treatment and monitoring. With the active role of parents, high cooperation in medical personnel, and awareness, children with this syndrome can still grow and develop well.