Nephrology
Children’s Hospital of Michigan treats the most children for inpatient nephrology care in the state of Michigan.
Does Your Child Have Kidney Disease?
Learn about signs and symptoms of kidney disease.
Conditions and Treatment
The Children’s Hospital of Michigan offers a wide array of both inpatient and outpatient care for children and adolescents who may suffer from a variety of disorders – including chronic kidney disease, hypertension (high blood pressure), vesicoureteral reflux and urinary tract infection, congenital kidney anomalies, vasculitis, renal stones and disorders of fluid electrolyte, acid-base and mineral metabolism. Separate clinics are offered for children with hypertension and vasculitis. From urological evaluations and hemodialysis to vascular access and kidney transplantation, comprehensive care and treatment is provided to children and adolescents by leading clinicians on staff and researchers in their field.
Vasculitis Clinic
The Vascultis Clinic is a multi-disciplinary clinic combining the expertise and cooperative working relationship of Pediatric Rheumatology and Pediatric Nephrology. This clinic was founded at Children's Hospital of Michigan in 2002. It allows families
to make a visit to the clinic, and at that time see both a pediatric rheumatologist and pediatric nephrologist. This streamlines communication for the family who receives a single message from the Vasculitis team members. This approach allows the
patient to benefit from the complementary skill sets from two different pediatric specialists in one setting. Children cared for in this clinic typically have autoimmune diseases such as lupus, Wegener's granulomatosis, Takayasu's arteritis, and other
more rare forms of vasculitis.
Comprehensive Care
The service has an inpatient unit, eleven-bed advanced hemodialysis (in-center) unit with private child-friendly stations, and at-home peritoneal dialysis for both acute and chronic kidney disease; and offices for outpatient consultation
and follow-up. For those children with chronic renal problems, multidisciplinary patient care is provided with the help of highly trained physicians, nurses, a social worker, dietitian, child life specialists, art therapist, pharmacists and
a clinical psychologist.
Children's Hospital of Michigan also offers a Lupus Support Group through the Michigan Lupus Foundation and hosts Kidney Talks throughout the year, facilitating supportive discussions among families and children
about living with and managing kidney disease.
The pediatric nephrologists on the medical staff provide 24-hour service for inpatients, and emergency telephone consultations from community hospitals, practitioners and chronic renal patients.
For further information or to schedule an appointment call (313) 745-KIDS or toll-free at (888) 362-2500.
Kidney disease has been referred to as a silent killer because it can develop with subtle symptoms leading to advanced loss of kidney function that can require dialysis or kidney transplantation. In children, chronic kidney failure can develop without major symptoms until most of the kidney function is lost.
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), kidney disease in children can be caused by a number of conditions including birth defects, hereditary diseases, infection, systemic diseases, trauma, urine blockage or reflux and immunological diseases including nephrotic syndrome.
It’s important for parents to be aware that timely detection of kidney problems offers the best chance to curb kidney damage and possibly reverse complications associated with the disorder.
Children or teens with the following symptoms should seek a visit to their doctor for further diagnosis.
- Decreased or increased frequency of urination
- Excessive thirst, particularly night time
- Recurrent flank or abdominal (stomach) pain
- Bloody diarrhea, pallor, and red urine
- Red or cola-colored urine; excessively foamy urine suggests the presence of large amount of protein
- Headaches
- Itching and pallor
- Swelling (even mild) of the hands and feet and/or puffiness around the eyes
- Unexplained weight loss or lack of appetite
- Unexplained fatigue
The Kidney Transplant Program at the Children’s Hospital of Michigan, is a multidisciplinary program designed for the special needs of children and teens. If your child has kidney disease, it is not too early to consult with the experts at the Children’s Hospital of Michigan. The program combines the expertise of pediatric nephrologists and pediatric kidney transplant surgeons on staff at the Children’s Hospital of Michigan. Together, these staff members have vast experience performing living-donor and deceased-donor kidney transplants.
Pediatric transplant specialists use a multidisciplinary approach to care, working closely with pediatric urologists, pediatric anesthetists and specially trained pediatric nurses, pre- and post-transplant coordinators, social workers, dietitians, a pharmacist and a child psychologist. A financial coordinator is also available to help families navigate their medical insurance requirements and identify other financial resources as needed.
For optimal convenience, patients are able to consolidate their visits to the hospital and meet with multiple pediatric specialists during a single day. All members of the Kidney Transplant Program meet weekly to discuss each child's unique needs and develop customized pre- and post-transplantation care plans for the best outcomes.
While surgical procedures are performed at the Children’s Hospital of Michigan in Detroit, follow-up care with pediatric nephrologists are available at many of the Hospital’s convenient outpatient specialty centers including Canton, Clinton Township and Troy.
For further information or to schedule an appointment call (313) 745-KIDS or toll-free at (888) 362-2500.