Kidney failure facts for kids

Kidney failure (also called renal failure) happens when a person's kidneys stop working the way they should. Kidneys are super important organs that clean your blood and remove waste from your body. When they fail, waste can build up, which can make you very sick.

Kidney failure can be split into two main types:

• Chronic renal failure: This develops slowly over time.
• Acute renal failure: This happens suddenly and quickly.

Chronic Kidney Failure

Chronic kidney failure is a condition that develops slowly, often over many months or even years. At first, you might not notice many symptoms. This can make it hard to know you have a problem early on.

Sometimes, chronic kidney failure can be a sign of other health issues. These might include conditions like IgA nephritis, glomerulonephritis, chronic pyelonephritis, or problems with urinary retention.

If chronic kidney failure is not treated, it can get worse and become what's called end-stage renal failure. At this point, the kidneys have almost completely stopped working. The only treatments for end-stage renal failure are dialysis or a kidney transplant. Dialysis is a treatment that cleans your blood using a machine, doing the job your kidneys can no longer do. A kidney transplant is surgery to put a healthy kidney from another person into your body.

Acute Kidney Failure

Acute kidney failure is different because it develops very quickly, sometimes in just a few days. The symptoms are usually much more noticeable.

Some common symptoms of acute kidney failure include:

• Urinating much less than you usually do.
• Changes in the amount of water in your body, like swelling.
• Your electrolyte levels (important chemicals in your blood) might not be normal.

It's very important to find out what caused acute kidney failure quickly. Often, dialysis is needed right away. This helps to prevent permanent damage to your body while doctors work to find and treat the cause of the kidney problem.

When Both Happen: Acute-on-Chronic

Sometimes, a person who already has chronic kidney failure can also develop acute kidney failure. This means they have a sudden, quick worsening of their kidney function on top of their long-term problem. When this happens, it's called acute-on-chronic renal failure.

See also

In Spanish: Insuficiencia renal para niños