Pediatricians at Johns Hopkins Children's Center in Baltimore have warned that many children are coming down with Kidney stones in the United States.
Pediatricians at Johns Hopkins Children's Center in Baltimore have warned that many children are coming down with Kidney stones in the United States.
Kidney specialist Dr. Alicia Neu, co-director of the kidney stone clinic at the Children's Center said, "More and more children with kidney stones are coming to us. While this is somewhat unexpected, it is not totally surprising given that so many other conditions are on the rise in children due to poor diet, such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and obesity to name a few.”The reason behind this trend, doctors opine, is due to the over consumption of salt and insufficient intake of water. It is well known that the best ways to offset kidney stones or delay their onset is to restrict salt in the diet and consume water in plenty.
Pediatricians have advised that children must reduce the consumption of salt, to 2.4 grams or 1 teaspoon of table salt per day. Further, they must avoid salty munchies, processed foods, and sodas. Additionally, it is better to patronize products that contain no added salt or are low in sodium. Also Tea, coffee, dark chocolate, spinach, nuts and wheat bran can cause formation of certain varieties of kidney stones.
It is imperative that children should drink two liters (64 ounces) of water in the least on a daily basis. There is no replacement for water and certainly juices and sodas cannot take the place of water. If a child urinates less frequently, it may be an indication that the water intake is less and a sign of dehydration.
Signs of kidney stones could show up as severe pain in lower back and/or in the sides, regular and painful urination, and blood in the urine, cloudy urine, and urinary tract infections coupled with fever.
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