Purpose of the review
This article seeks to identify common kidney problems often seen in the pediatrician’s office and associated nutritional management. Although many of these problems should be referred to a pediatric nephrology team where, ideally, a trained pediatric renal dietitian can provide intense dietary management and counseling, it is often necessary for initial information to come from the pediatrician. This review seeks to provide basic nutrition information a pediatrician can use to initially guide their patients to improve medical management.
Recent findings
Hypertension is rapidly increasing, likely related to poor quality seen in western diets. A multi-layered approach that includes physical activity, DASH diet guidelines, and limiting sodium has been shown to be effective. For children with kidney stones, the mechanisms for best management are demonstrated herein, which does not include avoidance of calcium, despite a large portion of many stones being comprised of calcium. Mitigation of sodium and adequate fluid intake are the key. For nephrotic syndrome, simple tools to manage sodium intake can be helpful, and attention to calcium and vitamin D intake may be more important than originally thought.
Summary
Knowledge of nutrition recommendations for the plethora of kidney issues that come through the office of the general pediatrician can be helpful to ensure that youth are on the best path for their dietary management.
