Pediatric nephrology

Measuring your child's blood pressure over a 24-hour period can give us a better picture of their ability (or inability) to control their blood pressure. For evaluation purposes, we have them wear a device during usual daily activities. The goal of this exercise is to obtain more accurate blood pressure levels and eliminate falsely elevated blood pressure spikes typically caused by the anxiety of being in a doctor's office. In someone who is being treated for high blood pressure, ABPM helps us ensure their medicinal treatment is being optimized.

Dialysis — including peritoneal dialysis, hemodialysis and continuous renal replacement therapy — involves treatments designed to clean the blood and remove excess water and waste from your child's body in the setting of kidney failure.

Peritoneal dialysis is a form commonly used in children where the lining of the abdomen, or peritoneal membrane, is used as a filter for waste products and water to be removed from their body. A sterile solution called dialysate flows into the abdomen via a catheter, and extra water and waste products cross the peritoneal membrane into the dialysate, which is then drained out via the same catheter into a waste bag.

These unwanted substances are removed from the body when the kidneys aren't able to perform this job. For some children with chronic kidney failure, peritoneal dialysis can be performed from home at night using a machine while child and family are asleep.

A kidney biopsy is often minimally invasive, which decreases your child's recovery time and reduces scarring. Our specialists can discuss if a minimally invasive approach is right for them.

Our pediatric kidney doctors provide continual care for children needing kidney transplantation. Our care starts when you arrive for a consult and continues long after your child's surgery.

In order to provide your child with the most comprehensive care possible, we offer additional kidney treatments through our partnership with affiliated hospitals. These services include:

• Acute dialysis
• Continuous renal replacement therapy
• Hemodialysis
• Inpatient consultation with recommendation on appropriate therapy
• Peritoneal dialysis
• Plasmapheresis

Sometimes an ultrasound will detect a kidney or urinary tract abnormality in a developing fetus. If you are considering us for your obstetrical care, your doctor may refer you to a pediatric nephrologist for a prenatal consultation to discuss possible outcomes and treatment options.