Kidney stones develop when a group of minerals and other materials form a small "stone" that can block the drainage of urine and become very painful. We know how stressful it can be when a child is in pain, which is why the specialists in the Division of Pediatric Nephrology at Tufts Medical Center in Boston take every measure to diagnose and treat your child's kidney stones as soon as possible.
If you suspect that your child might have a kidney stone, you should take him or her to see the specialists at Tufts Medical Center as soon as possible. Once your child is in our care, we will obtain blood work, ultrasounds and 24 hour urine examinations to determine if he or she has a stone.
If your child has a kidney stone that is relatively small and painless, our pediatric nephrologists may recommend having your child pass the stone at home. If this is the case, we will ask you to use a urine strainer to catch the stone so that we can analyze it to determine further treatment.
In some cases, we may need to hospitalize your child while he or she passes the stone. We typically recommend this approach when the kidney stone is blocking the urinary tract (which may cause permanent damage) or is extremely painful. During your child's hospital stay, we will give him or her intravenous (IV) fluids and pain medication while we monitor the location of the stone and wait for it to pass.
Studies have estimated that 30-65% of children who have had one kidney stone will have additional stones throughout their lifetime. To help prevent future kidney stone formation, we provide our patients with access to a nutritionist and medications (if required) that may maximize quality of life.
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Title(s): Chief, Division of Pediatric Nephrology; Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine Department(s): Pediatrics, Pediatric Nephrology Appt. Phone: 617-636-7429 Fax #: 617-636-0066
Renal failure, acute and chronic, glomerular disease (especially urine microscopy), liver related renal disease, hypertension, urinary tract infection, fluid and electrolyte imbalance, acute dialysis (peritoneal, hemodialysis and hemofiltration), transplantation
To make an appointment with one of our expert Pediatric Nephrologists, please call 617-636-8100.
