Is My Child at Risk for 

Kidney Disease?
kidneys

Some diseases and conditions put children at risk for kidney 

disease. A urine test is used to check for kidney disease 

before symptoms appear. Read more to learn about risk 

factors, the urine test, and treatment for kidney disease. 

What do the kidneys do?

Your child has two kidneys. Their main job is to filter 

wastes and extra water from the blood. Wastes and water 

pass through the kidneys and leave the body as urine. 

The kidneys also make hormones that help the body 

make blood and keep the bones strong. 

What is kidney disease?

Infections or other health problems can cause kidney disease. 

When a child has kidney disease, the kidneys may not 

work normally. This may lead to a harmful buildup of 

wastes in the body. 
How can I find out if my child has 

kidney disease?

A urine test can be used to check for kidney disease if your 

child is at risk. Testing is important because early kidney 

disease often has no symptoms. Your child will urinate 

in a cup, and the sample will be tested for kidney disease. 

What does the urine test look for?

The urine test checks for albumin. Albumin is a protein 

in your child’s blood that is too big to pass through 

healthy kidneys. If your child’s kidneys are damaged, 

small amounts of albumin can pass into the urine 

through the kidneys. In general, the more albumin there 

is in the urine, the more damaged the kidneys are.
What does high urine albumin mean?

A high urine albumin level may mean that your child has 

kidney disease. Your health care provider may do other 

tests for kidney disease, including a blood test, which checks 

how well the kidneys are filtering.

Can kidney disease be treated?

Kidney disease has many possible causes. The first step is to 

learn the cause of the kidney disease. Medicine and other 

treatments usually can’t undo the damage that has been 

done, but they may help prevent more harm. Your provider 

may ask you to take your child to a nephrologist—a doctor 

who treats patients with kidney disease.
How do I know if my child is at risk for 

kidney disease?

Your child may be at risk for kidney disease if he or she:

n is overweight

n has pain in the back, side, or lower belly

n complains of burning or pain when urinating, has 

changes in the urine, or often wets his or her pants

n has unexplained fever 

n has swelling in the feet, ankles, or legs

n wakes up with swollen eyelids

n becomes dehydrated often 

n has a family member with kidney disease

Other conditions that may put your child at increased 

risk for kidney disease include:

n SGA (small for gestational age) or born premature

n a growth disorder

n diabetes

n high blood pressure

n rickets (soft bones caused by too little vitamin D)

n other conditions that run in families, such as polycystic 

kidney disease, Alport Syndrome, or heart disease
For more information:

About kidney disease in children 

Call the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information 

Clearinghouse toll free at 1-800-891-5390 or go online at 

www.kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/topics/children.asp.

About kidney disease

Call the National Kidney Disease Education Program 

toll free at 1-866-4 KIDNEY (1-866-454-3639) 

or go online at www.nkdep.nih.gov.

Participants in clinical trials can play a more active role in their own health care, gain 

access to new research treatments before they are widely available, and help others by 

contributing to medical research. For more information, visit www.clinicaltrials.gov. 

The National Kidney Disease Education Program (NKDEP) encourages people to get 

tested for kidney disease and educates those with kidney disease and their health care 

providers about treatments that can help delay or prevent kidney failure. NKDEP is a 

program of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

NIH Publication No. 12-7489 • Revised October 2011 • Order more brochures at www.nkdep.nih.gov

U.S. Department of Health 

and Human Services

National Institutes of Health