Proper Diet for PKD in Children

Because Polycystic Kidney Disease is a hereditary disease, the children may suffer from this disease. When children suffer from PKD, their diet should be different from what they eat before for diet affecting the progression of PKD seriously.

Treatment is essential in controlling Polycystic Kidney Disease, but scientific diet is also of primary importance in controlling PKD. The followings are the general introduction about what foods are beneficial for children with PKD and what foods are not suitable for them.

Firstly, with PKD, children may have proteinuria. These protein are nutrition and in normal cases, they should be used by our body. However, because of PKD, they leak from children′s body, which can lead to malnutrition. Therefore, to make sure enough nutrition, children need to ingest more protein to supplement the lost protein. However, too much protein will increase renal burden, which can accelerate PKD, so protein intake should be limited. Under such a circumstance, children can eat some high quality protein which in some way supplement the lost protein and meanwhile cases not extra burden to kidney. In our daily life, fish, lean meat, egg white and milk are high in high quality protein, so children with PKD can eat some foods we mentioned just now.

Secondly, avoid eating salty foods such as pickles, marinated egg, fermented bean curd and other foods which are processed with lots of salt or condiment. When kidneys are damaged by PKD, excessive sodium will pile up in the blood, as a result of which, electrolyte disturbance will occur. Children with PKD can eat some food with light tastes, and this is helpful for controlling PKD.

Thirdly, fruits and vegetables which are high in potassium also should be avoided by children with PKD. High level of potassium in the body makes Children′s body failed in absorbing calcium. For children, they need large amounts of calcium to develop their bone.