Nephrology

Your child’s doctor starts by listening to you and your child, and answering your questions. Your child’s doctor may recommend diagnostic tests, such as blood tests, urine tests or imaging. By understanding your child’s symptoms and through testing, we can make a diagnosis and create a care plan that’s right for your child.

When your child has a kidney condition, you're in the right place with doctors who provide some of the most advanced treatments, including:

• Medication management
• At-home blood pressure monitoring
• Dialysis
• Therapeutic apheresis (plasma exchange)

If your child’s kidney disease is related to another condition, your child’s doctor works with other pediatric specialists at Studer Family Children’s Hospital, such as urologists, neurologists, cardiologists, intensive care specialists, dietitians and more. By collaborating as a multidisciplinary team, we deliver comprehensive care for children with even the most complex conditions. Social workers are also part of our care team to provide care and support for your child and family.

Dialysis may be part of your child’s care plan. When your child has a chronic kidney condition or kidney injury, their kidneys do not filter blood the way they should. Dialysis is a treatment that helps do the job of the kidneys. It can help support your child until their kidney function improves or until they have a kidney transplant.

Children experiencing kidney failure usually need dialysis three or more times per week. Pediatric dialysis is provided on the same campus as Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Ascension Sacred Heart. Specially trained pediatric nurses deliver treatment and help make your child comfortable while receiving care.

Hemodialysis: With this type of dialysis, blood is pumped out the body and through a dialysis machine. Inside the machine, it passes through an “artificial kidney” filter that removes waste, such as urea, creatinine, potassium and extra fluid. Hemodialysis is usually done three times a week for about 4-5 hours.

Peritoneal dialysis: With this type of dialysis, a cleansing fluid is inserted into the abdomen through a small tube. The abdomen lining acts as the filter and removes waste from the blood. Then, the fluid with the waste flows out of the abdomen through the tube.

Pediatric nephrologists at Studer Family Children’s Hospital have advanced expertise in caring for hypertension in children and help manage your child’s condition, using the right medications. Your child’s care team may also include a dietitian to help your child and family better understand healthy food choices.

If your child’s high blood pressure is caused by another health condition, such as a hormone imbalance or vascular condition, other pediatric specialists at Studer Family Children’s Hospital become part of your child’s care team. Our goals are to manage your child’s blood pressure, find and help address the cause, when possible, and help prevent more complications.

Nephrologists and urologists at Studer Family Children’s Hospital work closely together to deliver advanced care for children with congenital anomalies of the kidneys and urinary tract. As a team, we look at labs and imaging, such as blood tests, urine tests and ultrasounds. Then, we make a diagnosis and collaborate on a care plan personalized for your child.