Media Release
Bengaluru, Mar 13: World Kidney Day is on Thursday, March 13th. The Department of Pediatric Nephrology at St John's National Academy of Health celebrating this important day by spreading awareness that children’s kidney disease is an important health issue. On this occasion we are also commemorating 25 years of providing the highest level of care for all children with kidney disease. This momentous occasion will feature the blessing and installation of a newly donated Continuous Kidney Replacement Therapy (CKRT) machine, a vital addition to pediatric dialysis care for critically ill children.
Our centre is a pioneer in pediatric nephrology care in the country. Established in 2000, this multidisciplinary unit provides comprehensive care for the pediatric age group from neonates to adolescents with kidney disease, including outpatient care, dialysis, and kidney transplantation. A well-known tertiary referral center in South India, it provides not only clinical care but also training and outreach services to underserved regions. Ours is the first center in India to have a formal pediatric nephrology department and the first approved DM superspecialty training course focusing on the unique aspects of childrens’ kidney disease. Our centre has trained over 80 pediatricians and some pediatric dialysis nurses from India and abroad. The center's mission is to provide ethical, multidisciplinary, and affordable care for any child who needs our care.
World Kidney Day (WKD) 2025 – Detect early, protect kidney health
The theme of WKD 2025 focuses on detecting kidney disease early. This is relevant in children, where the signs and symptoms of kidney disease are often non-specific and easily missed. Studies show that 3-5% of pediatric hospital admissions have kidney-related illnesses. Acute kidney injury, an important problem in hospitalized children, is preventable and treatable. Even in children who have severe kidney injury and require dialysis, the outcomes are good.
Like adults, children too can get irreversible kidney failure although the cause for their disease is not due to diabetes or high blood pressure, but due to congenital malformations of the kidney and urinary tract. One in 10 children with chronic kidney disease requires long-term dialysis or transplantation. These can be successfully provided by centres with the required expertise.
Sensitizing pediatricians, family physicians and ancillary healthcare providers about the warning signs of kidney disease in children is vital for timely diagnosis and prevention of progression. These include abnormal antenatal ultrasound findings, repeated urinary tract infections, unexplained anemia, and poor growth.
Advancing pediatric kidney care at CKCC
For the last 2 decades, CKCC has been a pioneer in providing state-of-the-art dialysis facilities to children with acute kidney injury and irreversible kidney failure. The center offers dialysis to all children from newborns to older adolescents. The dialysis technicians provide specialised treatment taking into account their low body weights and capacity to tolerate dialysis.
With the increasing complexity of therapies in the intensive care unit, dialysis therapies are now an integral part of the care of a sick child, and the need for dialysis is growing. Continuous Kidney Replacement Therapy is a specialized form of dialysis for young and extremely ill patients in the ICU who require dialysis. This facility adds a new dimension to the spectrum of dialysis therapies in the center. The center acknowledges the generous funding offered by the State Bank of India (SBI) since 2017 in establishing comprehensive pediatric dialysis facilities, including the latest CKRT machine.
Looking back at the 25 years with pride and satisfaction, the team at the center looks forward to many more years of service with care and compassion.