Children can be treated with hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis.
As in adult patients, more children are begun on hemodialysis than on peritoneal dialysis.Kidney transplantation is the preferred treatment in children.
This is because children’s physical growth is less than normal on dialysis.
Three out of four children on dialysis receive a transplant within three years.
Transplantation offers the best hope for normal growth and development as well as enabling children to participate in school and athletics.
The availability of parents as healthy potential donors makes transplantation a good option.
Siblings must be over 18 years of age to donate a kidney.
