The kidneys are responsible for many functions in the body including removing waste and extra fluid from the body in urine maintaining a healthy balance of fluid and minerals such as sodium, calcium, potassium and phosphorus in the blood. Individuals with kidney disease often experience a poor appetite and poor dietary intake. Poor nutrition in children with kidney disease can have a negative effect on growth and development, with early nutritional therapy being shown to improve growth and other outcomes in all ages of children with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)¹.
The nutritional aim is to meet energy and protein requirements to enable growth, whilst managing intakes of potassium, phosphorus, salt and fluid.
Using a low potassium renal-specific paediatric feed, such as Renastart, in conjunction with breast milk, standard infant formula, standard paediatric feeds or oral diet, is useful for those infants and children with raised serum potassium levels, as it can enable energy and protein requirements to be met, whilst limiting dietary potassium and phosphorus intake, thus helping to manage serum potassium and phosphate levels.
1 Royle, J (2015) Clinical Paediatric Dietetics, Chapter 12, Fourth Edition, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
