What does an enlarged kidney in a child mean?

Hydronephrosis is a condition, affecting about 1 in 100 babies, where urine overfills or backs up into the kidney, causing the kidney to swell. Infants with hydronephrosis may be diagnosed before (prenatal) or after (postnatal) birth.

What causes babies kidneys to be dilated?

Fetal hydronephrosis is swelling of a baby’s kidney caused by a buildup of urine. This can happen while the baby is still in the mother’s uterus. Doctors often find the problem when a woman has a fetal ultrasound during pregnancy. Urine normally travels from the kidney down a narrow tube to the bladder.

Is hydronephrosis serious in babies?

After an infant is born, hydronephrosis may lead to complications such as urinary tract infections, kidney stones, and chronic kidney disease.

What does it mean if kidney is dilated?

Hydronephrosis, also known as urinary tract dilation, is when the area of the kidney where urine is collected is enlarged, or dilated. It can range from mild to severe, depending on the cause of the dilation. Often children who have hydronephrosis have it from the time of birth.

At what age does hydronephrosis resolve?

In children who are born with hydronephrosis, the condition is sometimes transient and can go away on its own, usually by the time the child is age 3.

What does a dilated kidney mean?

Can hydronephrosis be cured naturally?

In adults, the underlying cause of hydronephrosis can sometimes just fix itself. This means a person won’t need any treatment. More often, however, a doctor will need to do surgery to remove the obstruction or fix the reflux.

How do you treat dilated kidneys?

Treatment may include:

1. Placing a stent (tube) through the bladder and ureter to allow urine to flow from the kidney into the bladder.
2. Placing a tube into the kidney through the skin, to allow the blocked urine to drain out of the body into a drainage bag.
3. Antibiotics for infections.

What is treatment for hydronephrosis in children?

Antibiotics after your baby is born to prevent infection, in select cases where infection may be more likely to occur. Surgery to repair any urinary tract blockage, in more severe cases. Prenatal surgery to place a drainage tube in your baby’s bladder, in the most severe cases.

Is hydronephrosis curable?

Hydronephrosis is usually treated by addressing the underlying disease or cause, such as a kidney stone or infection. Some cases can be resolved without surgery. Infections can be treated with antibiotics. A kidney stone can pass through by itself or might be severe enough to require removal with surgery.

Is hydronephrosis an emergency?

Hydronephrosis is often caused by a serious condition of the kidney or urinary tract, such as kidney stones. Seek immediate medical care (call 911) if you, or someone you are with, have any of the following symptoms: Blood clots in urine or bloody urine (hematuria)

How long does it take to recover from hydronephrosis?

Kidney function will begin decreasing almost immediately with the onset of hydronephrosis but is reversible if the swelling resolves. Usually kidneys recover well even if there is an obstruction lasting up to 6 weeks.

Is milk good for kidney patients?

Yet people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have to limit dairy products in their kidney diet. High levels of phosphorus, potassium and calcium in something like low-fat milk are not good for someone on a kidney diet.

What causes hydronephrosis in child?

What causes hydronephrosis in children? Hydronephrosis can be caused by blockage at some part of the urinary tract or by reflux of urine (abnormal backflow of urine from the bladder). It can also be due to the abnormal development or formation of the kidney in the absence of obstruction or reflux.

Should I worry about hydronephrosis?

If both kidneys are affected, it is called bilateral hydronephrosis. Hydronephrosis may result in decreased kidney function. If not treated right away, permanent damage to the kidney or kidneys may occur, resulting in kidney failure.