Emergency: Pediatric Dialysis Cases Rise Dramatically, What's the Cause?

Kidney failure and dialysis attack children! It has been widely discussed on social media that many children are undergoing dialysis at hospitals. Cases of pediatric diabetes and kidney failure are experiencing an alarming upward trend.

The Indonesian Pediatric Association (IDAI) confirmed that diabetes cases in children have increased by 70 percent since 2010 until the end of 2023. Meanwhile, according to an IDAI survey, 1 in 5 children aged 12 to 18 years showed hematuria or proteinuria in their urine, which are early signs of kidney failure.

Kidney Failure in Children
Kidney failure is a condition in which the kidney function is unable to filter waste from the blood effectively. Not only in adults, kidney failure is also a very dangerous condition for children. Causes of kidney failure include:

• Genetic abnormalities: some children are born with conditions that make them more susceptible to kidney problems.
• Infections: Urinary tract infections that are not treated can cause permanent kidney damage.
• Fluid deficiency: not meeting a child's fluid needs can compromise kidney function.
• Side effects of certain medications
• Blood flow disorders: Such as a heart attack, major surgery or heavy bleeding that disrupts blood flow to the kidneys.
• And hemolytic uremic syndrome: inflammation and damage to the small blood vessels in the kidneys.

Diabetes in Children
Type 1 and type 2 diabetes are increasingly common in children. Type 1 diabetes occurs when a child's body can no longer produce the insulin hormone that controls blood sugar levels. While type 2 diabetes is usually associated with obesity and unhealthy lifestyles and one of them is heredity. Early signs of diabetes in children include:

• Frequent urination: the child often feels thirsty and urinates more often than usual.
• Weight loss: The child loses weight, despite eating a normal amount of food.
• The child often feels tired and lethargic
• There is a darker skin color change in the neck, armpits, and groin. Infections in wounds that are difficult to heal

Prevention of Childhood Diabetes
To prevent children from the risk of diabetes and kidney failure, there are several steps that mothers can take, namely:

• Implement a healthy diet by ensuring children eat a balanced diet with low sugar and saturated fat.
• Conduct regular health checks
• Encourage children to participate in regular physical activities, such as playing outdoors, cycling, or participating in organized sports. 
• Avoid excessive consumption of medicines without a doctor's prescription
• Consume enough water to avoid dehydration

Therefore, by taking the right preventive measures and increasing awareness, mothers can protect their children from the risk of developing diabetes and kidney failure by conducting regular check-ups to detect early signs of kidney failure and diabetes symptoms in children. 

Reference Source:
“Rates of newly diagnosed cases of type 1 and type 2 diabetes on the rise among children, teens.”. National Institutes of Health. 2017
“National Diabetes Statistics Report: Estimates of Diabetes and Its Burden in the United States.”. CDC Home. 2023
“Sardjito Menyapa Acces to diabetes care.”. Sarjito.co.id .2021