Kidney stones are common in older adults, but are now increasingly occurring in children.
A doctor examines a 9-year-old patient with kidney stones - Photo: Rachel Wisniewski/The Washington Post
One morning, 15-year-old Annabelle Pleskoff woke up with severe pain in her right abdomen. Then Pleskoff received a surprising diagnosis: kidney stones.
Warning about children with kidney stones
Kidney stones in children are on the rise, according to The Washington Post . “People think kids don’t get kidney stones,” says Zachary V. Zuniga, MD, a pediatric urologist at Texas Children’s Hospital. “It’s the last thing you think of when a kid is in pain somewhere.” Some health experts predict the problem will get worse.
A 2016 study in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology analyzed the incidence of kidney stones among 15- to 19-year-olds in South Carolina from 1997 to 2012. Researchers found a 28 percent increase in the five-year period for girls. For boys, the increase was 23 percent.
When children have kidney stones, they need to take medication, usually a prescription drug, to relax the ureter muscles so that the stone can move from the ureter to the bladder.
In case the child has a urinary tract infection due to a stone blocking the urine flow, they need to take antibiotics. For larger stones or stones that cause a lot of pain, doctors will have to remove the stones surgically.
Having kidney stones can profoundly disrupt the lives of teens and children, forcing them to face challenges that are different from many of their peers.
Many potential causes
Why are kidney stones on the rise in children? Some studies suggest genetics may play a role, but a North Carolina doctor has found a potential culprit: a high-salt diet.
Processed foods and fast foods are major sources of excess sodium. Because many processed foods lack essential nutrients, they can upset the balance of minerals in the body. These minerals are important in the formation of kidney stones.
Another hypothesis that some scientists are interested in is climate change. Climate-related disturbances can lead to food insecurity, pushing families to eat diets high in salt, sugar, and processed foods. Combined with a lack of water, these dietary choices can significantly increase the risk of kidney stones.
David J. Sas, a pediatric nephrologist at the Mayo Clinic, said his study also found a link between kidney stones and urban areas with more buildings and paved roads, which tend to have higher temperatures than suburban or rural areas.
"Temperature, humidity plus diet create kidney stones," says Sas.
High temperatures can cause dehydration, a proven risk factor for kidney stones. The situation is exacerbated by heat waves that are becoming more frequent due to climate change.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/ngay-cang-nhieu-tre-em-bi-soi-than-thu-pham-khong-xa-la-20250103152156175.htm
Comment (0)