Hydronephrosis can be an extremely painful condition of the renal system and can affect anyone including babies. If your baby seems irritable or cries when urinating, then it is best that you consult with the paediatrician. This condition should not be ignored as it can have harmful effects.
Hydronephrosis is a medical condition of the renal system where the urine cannot be discharged causing pain while urinating. This causes the urine to move back towards the kidneys and causes swelling and pressure on the kidney tissue. The blockage is usually located in the ureter. Ureters are the tubes connecting the kidney to the bladder. In babies, it is caused mostly by a congenital disease (a disease present from birth) of the renal system. The disease can affect one or both kidneys. The latter is known as bilateral hydronephrosis in infants.
There are many reasons why your child could be suffering from this ailment apart from congenital hydronephrosis. These are discussed below.
There are many symptoms of the condition that you can lookout for. Some of the symptoms include:
Also, keep in mind that the longer the condition remains untreated, the worse the symptoms will appear to be. So, look out for these symptoms and try to get it treated as soon as possible.
One of the most common side effects of hydronephrosis is the development of urinary tract infections or UTI. Some common symptoms of this infection are:
Since hydronephrosis is not a disease in itself, but rather a condition caused by other factors, the diagnosis is two pronged. The first step would be to establish that the condition exists in your baby. The second step would be to determine what is causing the blockage.
The diagnosis of the disease can be done during your pregnancy or after.
During your pregnancy, hydronephrosis is usually diagnosed from your regular prenatal ultrasound check-up. If the size of your child’s kidneys as well as the level of amniotic fluid seems to suggest something may be wrong, then your doctor will have you come in for more regular check-ups to monitor the health of your baby’s kidneys.
Doctors have advanced tools and tests at their disposal to make accurate diagnosis of the issue plaguing your baby’s kidneys. They might recommend one or more of all the tests below to identify the issue:
If hydronephrosis is left untreated or is given improper medical care, then your baby’s kidneys could get severely damaged. Apart from the kidneys stopping their regular function of filtering the blood, removing toxins, waste excretion, RBC regulation and regular urination, it could also lead to infections and the permanent failure of the kidneys.
There are cases where the baby continues to have chronic hydronephrosis where the prognosis is bleak even after timely medical intervention.
The nature and method of the treatment will be dependent on the stage or type of hydronephrosis your baby has. Some of the options for treatment are:
Hydronephrosis is a condition of the renal system that can cause serious complications, apart from just causing pain. In order to avoid critical and severe conditions, It is advisable that you immediately seek the advice of your child’s primary healthcare provider as soon as you spot the first sign. Keep in mind that most cases of congenital hydronephrosis get resolved on its own and there is no need to rush to surgery unless recommended by the doctor. Make sure you get all the required tests on time and be diligent in keeping appointments with the paediatrician.