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World J Nephrol. Jan 25, 2023; 12(1): 10-20
Published online Jan 25, 2023. doi: 10.5527/wjn.v12.i1.10
‘Children Kidney Care Centers’: Rationale, requirements and recommendations for best facilities and better future
Sunil Jain
Sunil Jain, Department of Paediatrics, Military Hospital Secunderabad, Secunderabad 500015, India
Author contributions: Jain S contributed fully to this work; Jain S designed the editorial; Jain S performed the research evidence review; Jain S contributed analytic tools; Jain S analyzed the available data and wrote the manuscript; Jain S has read and approved the final manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The author declares no conflict-of-interest statement.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Sunil Jain, MBBS, MD, Professor, Department of Paediatrics, Military Hospital Secunderabad, P.O. Trimulgherry, Secunderabad 500015, India. sunil_jain700@rediff.com
Received: August 12, 2022
Peer-review started: August 12, 2022
First decision: October 12, 2022
Revised: October 14, 2022
Accepted: December 31, 2022
Article in press: December 31, 2022
Published online: January 25, 2023
Processing time: 150 Days and 14.4 Hours
Abstract

Specialized centers are needed for nephrology and urology care of children. The justifications are the specialized nature of care needed and the growing incidence and prevalence. Children with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are at risk of morbidity, mortality, and decreased quality of life. Current pediatric practice structures are apparently poorly suited for the increasing demands of chronic disease in children. Kidney diseases account for around 8%-10% of total outpatients and 12% of admissions to the pediatric ward in hospitals. The major causes of pediatric CKD in registries are congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (around 50%), followed by inherited nephropathies and glomerulonephritis. The nephrologist’s role is important for specialized investigations and treatment. Urologist’s services are essential for the wide variety of conditions from birth to early adult age for complete cure and complementing medical management. Children have a right to treatments and to resources that are as sophisticated and advanced as those available to adults. Simple and sophisticated care for all children with ailments of the kidneys and related structures is important for ensuring ‘health for all’. The availability of ‘Child Kidney Care Centers’ will go a long way in improving the lives of affected children.

Keywords: Chronic kidney disease; Congenital anomaly; Hereditary nephropathy; Glomerulonephritis; Nephrology; Urology

Core Tip: Current pediatric practice structures are apparently poorly suited to meet the growing demands of chronic disease. Serious childhood morbidity and mortality can result from chronic disorders. Specialized centers provide the opportunity for systematic and focused delivery of high-quality clinical care in a sophisticated manner. An understanding of the etiology of chronic renal failure in children guides efforts and excellence goals. The availability of specialized investigations in a center is required, and will ensure prompt care, avoiding unnecessary referrals, which causes delays. ‘Children Kidney Care Centers’ will ensure correct treatments, both nephrology and urology, with sophistication for success.