Your Kidney And Problems Associated With It (6): Black And South Asian Kidney Health

Black and south Asian people are three to five times more likely to have kidney failure than white people, but many are unaware of the condition. If you are black or south Asian, you're more likely to develop kidney problems.

This is because you're more likely to have diabetes and high blood pressure than the general population. These are both common causes of kidney disease.

Kidney Research UK is a national charity that raises awareness of kidney disease among black and south Asian communities.

"Many black and south Asian people know about the higher prevalence of diabetes and high blood pressure in their communities, but they don't realise the direct link between these conditions and kidney failure," says Kidney Research UK's Neerja Jain. "Kidney disease is also more likely to be progressive (worsen to the point of kidney failure) in some black and Asian groups," she says.

"South Asian patients with diabetes are 10 times more likely to go on to have kidney failure than white Caucasians with diabetes," says Neerja. "So it's vital that diabetes and blood pressure in this group is well-controlled to reduce the likelihood of complications such as kidney damage."

Should you have a kidney test?
You're at higher risk of kidney disease if you're black or south Asian and also have:

• diabetes
• high blood pressure
• protein in the urine
• a close family member with kidney failure
If you're at higher risk, visit your GP and ask to be examined for kidney disease. This will involve measuring your blood pressure and having a urine and blood test to see how well your kidneys are working. If you have diabetes or high blood pressure, you should be routinely tested anyway.

Page last reviewed: 20/03/2013
Next review due: 20/03/2015
More articles on: Kidney healt
Tips for parents of kids with kidney disease

Having kidney disease affects children in many ways. Children may need to take medicines and alter their diet. They can also face challenges at school.

It can be helpful for parents to talk to members of the renal team, such as the social worker or clinical psychologist. Other parents and patient support groups may also be able to help.

Parents often have questions regarding their child's health. Here, we answer some of the most common ones:

Will my child grow normally?
The kidneys play an important role in a child's growth, so children with kidney disease may not grow as well as their peers. To make the problem worse, their illness can make them feel sick, alter their sense of taste and reduce their appetite.

How to help It's important to make sure that children with kidney disease get enough nutrition. Talk to your child's doctor about ways to help boost growth. Taking supplements and limiting certain foods while eating more fats and carbohydrates to increase calorie intake can help. Some children benefit from injections of growth hormone.

Will my child have a problem making friends?
Children with kidney disease can have trouble making friends and fitting in with children of their own age. This can be due to them missing time at school. It can also be because of a child's natural concern that their kidney disease makes them different from other children. Children can lack confidence if they're small for their age and their appearance has changed (for example, if they are bloated) due to their condition and its treatment.

How to help Find ways to encourage your child to meet other children and make friends. They can meet other children through nurseries, playgroups, school and after-school clubs. Having children over for tea and sleepovers and, in the case of older children, using social networking sites, such as Facebook, can help encourage children to make friends.

Will my child have difficulties at school?
Kidney disease itself doesn't usually cause problems with learning, but children who have had kidney disease from a young age may spend so much time in hospital that they struggle with school work. They usually catch up as they get older.

How to help If your child misses school, do all you can to help them with their school work. Talk to their teachers as early as possible to make a homework plan that your child get on with while they're in hospital. Make sure your child is getting as much extra educational support as possible from the school. The hospital teachers can also help and advise you.

If you have concerns about your child's development or learning, talk to your child's school.

Read more about how to talk to the school about your child's health condition.

Should children with kidney disease do sport?
It's tempting to be overprotective of a sick child. In general, however, sport and exercise is great for children with kidney disease. Bear in mind, however, that they may get tired more easily than their friends and classmates.

How to help Encourage your child to do all the activities their friends do. If your child is on dialysis, swimming might not be possible. In some cases, particularly after a kidney transplant, children should also avoid contact sports. Otherwise, they can safely take part in most sports.

Here are 10 ways to get active with your kids.
The British Kidney Patient Association (BKPA) organizes activity holidays for children with kidney disease. Ask your child's doctor about these or visit the BKPA website.

What if my child refuses their medicine?
Taking medicines is part of life for most children and young people with kidney disease. They can find this a strain and can stop taking their medicines.

How to help Try to work out why they don't want to take their medicines. Children, especially teenagers, may stop taking their medicines because they can cause unflattering changes in appearance. Talk to them about why taking their medicines is important for their health and what will happen if they don't. Be careful not to scare your child into taking their medicines.

Explaining to older children and teenagers why they need to be responsible for taking their own medicines can make them more likely to keep taking their tablets.

It can also help to involve the renal team that's looking after your child as they will have had lots of experience in tackling this problem with other children and young people.

It's very important that you let the renal team know immediately if you think your child isn't taking their medicines.

Who can my child talk to about kidney disease?
All children's kidney teams have different professionals on hand to chat to your child. These include doctors, nurses, psychologists, social workers, play specialists, teachers and some youth workers.

How to help Arrange for your child to talk to a member of the kidney team. It can also help if they meet a young adult who had chronic kidney disease during childhood or another child of their own age. You can find contacts through your doctor, local support group or Kidney Research UK.

How do I explain kidney disease to my other children?

Brothers and sisters of children with kidney disease may feel left out and worried. They need time with you to talk over their worries and to feel part of the overall plan.

How to help Your child's kidney team is there to help the whole family. Ask the play specialist, psychologist or social worker to spend time talking to your child's brothers and sisters and answering their questions.

Written by Shannon Johnson | Published on July 9, 2012

Medically Reviewed by George Krucik, MD
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EANFOWORLD FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
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