What is the cause of hematuria in children and how to treat it

Hematuria in children is one of the common diseases in children. Parents should pay attention to it and do a good job of caring for their babies. So what is the cause of hematuria in children and how to treat it?

Causes of hematuria in children

A 3-year-old boy was found to have hematuria during a urine screening at kindergarten. His parents took him to a pediatrician for further examination. The doctor found that the calcium content in the boy's urine was twice that of a normal child.

It turned out that the boy had the habit of taking calcium supplements and he didn't like to drink water, which led to hypercalciuria and hematuria.

The doctor who treated the boy said that it is rare for young children to have hematuria, and that hematuria can be primary or secondary. Some young children may have red urine due to drinking watermelon juice, but it is not hematuria.

Further urine tests revealed that the boy's urine contained too much calcium and he was confirmed to have hypercalciuria, which was why he had intermittent hematuria and painful urination.

The doctor further explained that some diseases are also particularly likely to cause hypercalciuria, such as hyperparathyroidism or kidney problems;

It was only after questioning the boy's parents that we found out that the boy usually took calcium supplements in large amounts and did not like to drink water. Only then was it confirmed that the boy had hypercalciuria due to excessive calcium intake.

How to treat hematuria in children

Treatment varies according to the cause. Generally, no treatment is required. Symptoms can usually be relieved as the child grows older or a collateral circulation is established. In severe cases, vascular reimplantation can be performed. Timely treatment of idiopathic hypercalciuria not only helps to relieve and eliminate the symptoms caused, but also prevents the subsequent occurrence of stones. Such children should be given adequate fluids and their sodium intake should be appropriately restricted. Avoid eating fruit juices and chocolates that contain too much oxalic acid to prevent the formation of calcium oxalate crystals in the urine. For those with macroscopic hematuria, severe frequent urination, and urgency, calcium intake should be appropriately restricted. For hypercalciuria, thiazide diuretics, such as hydrochlorothiazide (dihydrochlorothiazide) 1 mg/(kg·d), can be given for a course of 4 to 6 weeks. For those with low blood phosphorus, 1 to 3 g/d of inorganic phosphorus (sodium or potassium salt) can be taken orally. Ion exchange resin sodium cellulose phosphate can also be used to prevent intestinal calcium absorption.

Most cases of glomerular hematuria have a good prognosis, except for hereditary nephritis. Timely treatment of idiopathic hypercalciuria not only helps to relieve and eliminate the symptoms caused, but also prevents the subsequent occurrence of stones.

How to prevent hematuria in children

Children with hypercalciuria are at a high risk of developing kidney stones or renal calcification; therefore, doctors recommend that young children drink plenty of water and control their salt intake. More serious cases should be treated with diuretics.

He also called on parents to provide an appropriate amount of calcium supplement to children in the growth and development stage to avoid hypercalciuria, which would harm the health of young children.

Actively treat inflammation, stones and other diseases of the urinary system in daily life.