Dialysis Strategies to Improve Growth in Children With Chronic Kidney Disease

Abstract

Despite major advances in the understanding and management of uremic growth failure, 35% to 50% of children with chronic kidney disease still grow up to become adults of small stature. The final adult height achieved is correlated with the height deficit recorded at the time of kidney transplantation. A degree of catch-up growth does occur after kidney transplantation in childhood, but it is often limited. Growth retardation in children with chronic kidney disease causes significant difficulties in their daily lives, often limiting psychosocial integration. Additionally, growth retardation is associated with a greater number of hospital admissions and an increased risk of mortality. Growth failure is the common endpoint of a variety of pathologies, including growth hormone resistance. In children on chronic dialysis, linear growth may be improved by ensuring that optimal clinical care is provided. This includes maximizing nutritional support (e.g., tube feeding in cases of anorexia) so as to prevent malnutrition. Further management options include the administration of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) treatment and the use of more frequent and intensive dialysis sessions, such as daily on-line hemodiafiltration, which combines increased dialysis convective flow with ultrapure dialysate, to limit cachexia.