Kidney Disease in Children

A Range of Kidney Conditions
There are many different types of kidney disease that affect children. Some are temporary and treatable. Other forms of kidney disease are long-lasting and may affect your child’s growth, development, and psychosocial/educational achievement. The range of kidney diseases includes: 

• Congenital abnormalities or birth defects, such as having a kidney that is not well-formed, a single kidney, a kidney with reduced function, or a kidney that is not draining properly into the bladder
• Polycystic kidney disease, Alport's syndrome, and other kidney diseases that run in families
• Lupus, vasculitis (inflammation of blood vessels), uncontrolled hypertension, and diabetes, which are considered systemic kidney diseases
• Kidney filtering disorders such as nephrotic syndrome, which cause protein to leak into the urine

Diagnosing Your Child's Kidney Disease Is Our First Priority
We aim to accurately diagnose your child's kidney disease, understand the cause, and start treatment promptly to slow the progression and decline in kidney function.

Collaboration with Pediatric Specialists
Our pediatric nephrologists work closely with other Duke specialists -- including pediatric urologists, cardiologists, rheumatologists, gastroenterologists, and other experts -- to manage your child’s kidney disease and related conditions.

Ongoing Research Advances
Our ongoing research includes: 

• Studies to determine why some children develop kidney disease while others do not and why certain children rapidly progress to kidney failure despite treatment
• Studies to assess how genes put some children at higher risk for kidney conditions like nephrotic syndrome and congenital malformations of the kidney
• Clinical trials of new medications to treat nephrotic syndrome and other kidney diseases  
• New and personalized immunosuppression for children who have received a kidney transplant

Nationally Recognized Pediatric Kidney Specialists
Our doctors are frequently invited to speak at national and international conferences. We also train tomorrow’s kidney specialists at Duke University School of Medicine and write articles for medical journals and chapters for medical school textbooks.

If Your Child Needs a Kidney Transplant
If your child has end-stage kidney failure and needs a kidney transplant, you can feel confident in our expertise. Our experienced pediatric kidney transplant team performs successful transplants in children using kidneys from deceased and living donors and provides your child with innovative, personalized transplant care.