Attitudes of caregivers to management of end-stage renal disease in infants.

OBJECTIVES: To characterize the attitudes of pediatric nephrologists caring for infants with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) compared with attitudes from a survey published in 1998. Nephrology nurses and social workers were included. METHODS: An e-mail survey was distributed to pediatric nephrology teams in Canada, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. RESULTS: Survey responders totaled 270. Renal replacement therapy (RRT) is offered by all nephrologists to some children 1-12 months, and by 98% to some less than 1 month of age (93% in 1998). Of responding nephrologists, 30% offer RRT to all children less than 1 month of age (41% in 1998), and 50%, to all children 1-12 months. Among respondents, 50% indicated that parents can never refuse RRT for children aged 1-12 months, compared with 27% for younger infants. The most influential factor in rejecting RRT for infants was the presence of a co-existing abnormality. Nurses were more likely to believe that parents have the right to refuse RRT for infants. CONCLUSIONS: Attitudes of pediatric nephrologists have changed since 1998. Also, nurses have opinions that are different from those of the nephrologists on some issues, and a consensus should be reached before speaking to families.

Body size in children with chronic kidney disease after gastrostomy tube feeding.

Outcome body size of gastrostomy tube (g-tube)-fed children with chronic kidney disease (CKD) was investigated. CKD patients, stages 2-5, who had a g-tube inserted and removed between 1985 and 2007 were retrospectively reviewed (n=20) for anthropometrics, lab values, and steroid use from insertion to latest date. CKD patients never having had a g-tube placed (n=82) acted as the comparison population with similar data collection at start and end of the latest 5-year period. Body mass index (BMI)-for-age, weight (Wt)-for-age, and height (Ht)-for-age z scores were calculated and compared between groups. Median age at insertion and duration of g-tube treatment was 1.7 years (range 0.9-15.6), and 2.9 years (range 0.9-11.8), respectively. There was a significant increase in Wt- (p<0.01), and BMI-for-age (p<0.03) z score, but not for Ht-for-age between insertion and removal for subjects. There were no significant differences in Ht-, Wt-, or BMI-for-age z scores, from removal to 5 years post-removal. In the comparison population, there were no significant differences in Ht-, Wt-, or BMI-for-age z scores over the 5-year period. Approximately 36% of the non-tube-fed comparison population and 50% of the tube-fed subjects were overweight or obese at the most recent evaluation. In both subjects and the comparison group, overweight and obesity is associated with transplant status and steroid use. G-tube feeding is an effective method for achieving catch-up weight and moderate height gain in pediatric CKD patients, and does not apparently predispose patients to obesity after removal; however, overweight and obesity may pose problems to children with CKD whether or not they are tube fed.