How to Know if Your Child Has Kidney Stones
Be aware the symptoms of a kidney stone vary by age., Seek medical attention if your baby or toddler cries continuously and appears to have abdominal pain., Notice if your older child complains about lower abdominal pain., Take your older child to...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Be aware the symptoms of a kidney stone vary by age.
Most of the symptoms result from extreme pain occurring as the stone passes down your child’s ureter (the tube between the kidney and bladder) or from the sudden pressure in your child’s kidney because the stone is blocking urine flow. -
Step 2: Seek medical attention if your baby or toddler cries continuously and appears to have abdominal pain.
There are numerous conditions that may cause these symptoms, including a kidney stone.It may be hard to tell if your infant or young child has a kidney stone, as they may only show general symptoms like irritability, severe or prolonged crying, and vomiting.Your doctor or pediatrician should do a urinalysis on your infant or toddler.
If unexplained microscopic blood is detected on a urinalysis, this may be the only tip off your child has a kidney stone. , Older children with kidney stones will have symptoms similar to the symptoms of a kidney stone in an adult, including lower abdominal pain, usually only on one side, that could be severe and episodic (come and go).Abdominal pain may indicate that the stone is moving down your child’s urinary tract, or is blocking urine flow from their kidney.
Typically, your child will be unable to find a position that diminishes their pain.
If your child is a boy, he may describe the pain as in, or radiating to, one of his testicles on the same side as the abdominal pain.
If they are experience pain on the right side of their abdominal, this can be a sign of appendicitis, especially when there is no blood in their urine. , This could be a sign of several serious medical conditions, including kidney stones., The doctor should do a culture of their urine, as the stones may be an indication of a urine infection.You child may also experience nausea and vomiting when the pain becomes very severe. , Your child may also be more susceptible to kidney stones if they have had one before., If your child is on a ketogenic diet, which is sometimes used to treat seizures, they may be more likely to develop kidney stones.Certain medications used regularly, including diuretics (furosemide, bumetanide), acetazolamide, cisplatinum, and allopurinol, can also lead to the development of kidney stones. , If your child was born with issues like slow draining urine from their kidney or a kidney cystic disorder, they may be more susceptible to kidney stones.Hereditary diseases like cystic fibrosis, Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome, Bartter’s or Gitelman Syndrome, and inflammatory bowel disease can all also lead to the development of kidney stones. , Though this x-ray may be uncomfortable for your child, it can be easily and quickly done by a radiologist.Some kidney stones are dense enough to appear on an x-ray. , An ultrasound study (sonogram) is moderately sensitive to stones in your child’s kidney and bladder, but cannot detect if there are any stones in your child’s ureter.However, it is safe and non-invasive screening test for stones. , A CT (computerized tomography) scan uses x-rays to get 3 dimensional images of the entire urinary tract.
A CT is very sensitive and can usually detect stones that are not clear in x-rays.Keep in mind that this test will expose your child to significant doses of x-radiation and, although widely available, is usually reserved for cases where additional information is required for the diagnosis or anatomy of the urinary tract. , This will help the kidney stone to pass.
In fact, for most children who have had, or are at risk of a kidney stone, the chances of forming a stone can be significantly reduced with a consistent robust fluid intake.
A general daily fluid intake goal is based on your child’s age.
Ages 2-5 should have 42-62 ounces of fluid a day, ages 8-10 should have 75-85 ounces of fluid a day, and ages 13-18 should have 100-120 ounces of fluid a day., Use the written doses as specified on the package.
If pain medication is ineffective, or your child’s fluid intake is poor, take them to the hospital to help with pain control and fluid administration. , These crystals then increase in size over time in your child’s kidneys and/or urinary tract.
The crystals develop due to a buildup of minerals such as calcium, phosphate, uric acid, and oxalate in your child’s body.The most common type of kidney stone forms when calcium in your child’s urine combines with oxalate.
Oxalate is naturally found in many foods.
It also is formed in our body as the result of the normal metabolism of substances such as Vitamin C.
Increased oxalate in the urine often also occurs in people with inflammatory bowel disease.
Food such as rhubarb, spinach, peanuts, strawberries, wheat bran and chocolate all contain large amounts of oxalate., The amount of calcium in the urine increases when your child’s diet contains large amounts of sodium chloride, or common table salt.
This can contribute to stone formation in children at risk for calcium-containing stones.
Keep in mind excess calcium in your child’s urine is usually the result of too much intestinal absorption or excessive kidney excretion.
Rarely, it may also be caused by the abnormal production of certain hormones, and very rarely it may be the result of a tumor. , Most of the uric acid in the urine comes from the breakdown of dietary purines.
Foods rich in purines include fish, in particular herring, mackerel and sardines, red meat, dried beans, peas, and organs such as cow kidney.
Uric acid also is produced from the regular turnover of body cells in your child’s body.
Certain very rare inherited diseases also result in the production and excretion of uric acid. , These include seeds and nuts, beans, cheese and dairy products, salmon and shellfish, and red meats.
Cystine is another amino acid that can cause kidney stones.
It can be excreted in very high amounts in people with a rare hereditary disease affecting their cystine metabolism, called cystinuria., In some cases, an altered diet can increase your child’s kidney and urinary tract issues, rather than solve them. -
Step 3: Notice if your older child complains about lower abdominal pain.
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Step 4: Take your older child to the doctor if there is blood in their urine.
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Step 5: Bring your child to a doctor if it hurts when they pee.
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Step 6: Check if your family has a history of kidney stones.
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Step 7: Look at your child’s diet and any medications they are taking.
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Step 8: Monitor any congenital abnormalities of your child’s kidneys or urinary tract
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Step 9: as well as any hereditary diseases.
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Step 10: Allow your child’s doctor to do an x-ray on their abdomen.
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Step 11: Let your child’s doctor do an ultrasound or sonogram on their abdomen.
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Step 12: Get a referral for a CT scan for your child.
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Step 13: Make sure your child drinks a lot of fluids.
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Step 14: Give your child acetaminophen or ibuprofen to help with their pain.
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Step 15: Be aware most kidney stones are caused by certain dietary minerals and substances that form solid crystals.
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Step 16: Limit your child’s salt intake or amount of salty foods they eat.
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Step 17: Monitor your child’s intake of foods high in purines.
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Step 18: Keep an eye on your child’s intake of foods rich in phosphates.
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Step 19: Avoid eliminating any foods completely from your child’s diet until you get a diagnosis.
Detailed Guide
Most of the symptoms result from extreme pain occurring as the stone passes down your child’s ureter (the tube between the kidney and bladder) or from the sudden pressure in your child’s kidney because the stone is blocking urine flow.
There are numerous conditions that may cause these symptoms, including a kidney stone.It may be hard to tell if your infant or young child has a kidney stone, as they may only show general symptoms like irritability, severe or prolonged crying, and vomiting.Your doctor or pediatrician should do a urinalysis on your infant or toddler.
If unexplained microscopic blood is detected on a urinalysis, this may be the only tip off your child has a kidney stone. , Older children with kidney stones will have symptoms similar to the symptoms of a kidney stone in an adult, including lower abdominal pain, usually only on one side, that could be severe and episodic (come and go).Abdominal pain may indicate that the stone is moving down your child’s urinary tract, or is blocking urine flow from their kidney.
Typically, your child will be unable to find a position that diminishes their pain.
If your child is a boy, he may describe the pain as in, or radiating to, one of his testicles on the same side as the abdominal pain.
If they are experience pain on the right side of their abdominal, this can be a sign of appendicitis, especially when there is no blood in their urine. , This could be a sign of several serious medical conditions, including kidney stones., The doctor should do a culture of their urine, as the stones may be an indication of a urine infection.You child may also experience nausea and vomiting when the pain becomes very severe. , Your child may also be more susceptible to kidney stones if they have had one before., If your child is on a ketogenic diet, which is sometimes used to treat seizures, they may be more likely to develop kidney stones.Certain medications used regularly, including diuretics (furosemide, bumetanide), acetazolamide, cisplatinum, and allopurinol, can also lead to the development of kidney stones. , If your child was born with issues like slow draining urine from their kidney or a kidney cystic disorder, they may be more susceptible to kidney stones.Hereditary diseases like cystic fibrosis, Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome, Bartter’s or Gitelman Syndrome, and inflammatory bowel disease can all also lead to the development of kidney stones. , Though this x-ray may be uncomfortable for your child, it can be easily and quickly done by a radiologist.Some kidney stones are dense enough to appear on an x-ray. , An ultrasound study (sonogram) is moderately sensitive to stones in your child’s kidney and bladder, but cannot detect if there are any stones in your child’s ureter.However, it is safe and non-invasive screening test for stones. , A CT (computerized tomography) scan uses x-rays to get 3 dimensional images of the entire urinary tract.
A CT is very sensitive and can usually detect stones that are not clear in x-rays.Keep in mind that this test will expose your child to significant doses of x-radiation and, although widely available, is usually reserved for cases where additional information is required for the diagnosis or anatomy of the urinary tract. , This will help the kidney stone to pass.
In fact, for most children who have had, or are at risk of a kidney stone, the chances of forming a stone can be significantly reduced with a consistent robust fluid intake.
A general daily fluid intake goal is based on your child’s age.
Ages 2-5 should have 42-62 ounces of fluid a day, ages 8-10 should have 75-85 ounces of fluid a day, and ages 13-18 should have 100-120 ounces of fluid a day., Use the written doses as specified on the package.
If pain medication is ineffective, or your child’s fluid intake is poor, take them to the hospital to help with pain control and fluid administration. , These crystals then increase in size over time in your child’s kidneys and/or urinary tract.
The crystals develop due to a buildup of minerals such as calcium, phosphate, uric acid, and oxalate in your child’s body.The most common type of kidney stone forms when calcium in your child’s urine combines with oxalate.
Oxalate is naturally found in many foods.
It also is formed in our body as the result of the normal metabolism of substances such as Vitamin C.
Increased oxalate in the urine often also occurs in people with inflammatory bowel disease.
Food such as rhubarb, spinach, peanuts, strawberries, wheat bran and chocolate all contain large amounts of oxalate., The amount of calcium in the urine increases when your child’s diet contains large amounts of sodium chloride, or common table salt.
This can contribute to stone formation in children at risk for calcium-containing stones.
Keep in mind excess calcium in your child’s urine is usually the result of too much intestinal absorption or excessive kidney excretion.
Rarely, it may also be caused by the abnormal production of certain hormones, and very rarely it may be the result of a tumor. , Most of the uric acid in the urine comes from the breakdown of dietary purines.
Foods rich in purines include fish, in particular herring, mackerel and sardines, red meat, dried beans, peas, and organs such as cow kidney.
Uric acid also is produced from the regular turnover of body cells in your child’s body.
Certain very rare inherited diseases also result in the production and excretion of uric acid. , These include seeds and nuts, beans, cheese and dairy products, salmon and shellfish, and red meats.
Cystine is another amino acid that can cause kidney stones.
It can be excreted in very high amounts in people with a rare hereditary disease affecting their cystine metabolism, called cystinuria., In some cases, an altered diet can increase your child’s kidney and urinary tract issues, rather than solve them.
About the Author
Michael Turner
Writer and educator with a focus on practical lifestyle knowledge.
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