Pediatric Nephrology & Hypertension
Pediatric Nephrology & Hypertension at Golisano Children's Hospital
Kidneys serve many important roles, including filtering blood, controlling blood pressure and removing waste through urine. At Golisano Children’s Hospital at University of Vermont Health, our pediatric nephrology team is here to provide expert, compassionate care for children with kidney and bladder problems and hypertension, from birth through their transition into adult care.
Although we have expertise in kidney diseases, we recognize you are the expert on your child. We take the time to get to know your whole family.
Why Choose Golisano Children's Hospital?
As the only pediatric nephrology program in Vermont and northern New York, we offer:
- Family-centered care: We make sure you understand all treatment options and support your decision-making. A range of support specialists, including Child Life specialists and social workers, help make medical visits less overwhelming and connect you with resources.
- Coordinated treatment: Your child may need treatment from multiple specialists. For your convenience, we do our best to coordinate specialty visits on the same day. If your child needs additional services, we can coordinate with other UVM Health specialists.
- Research involvement: As part of a health system anchored by an academic medical center, our physicians are active researchers. We are part of the North American Pediatric Renal Trials and Collaborative Studies and the Pediatric Nephrology Research Consortium.
Conditions We Treat
Pediatric nephrologists specialize in conditions affecting your child’s kidneys and urinary tract, including:
- Chronic kidney disease: The kidneys don’t function the way they’re supposed to.
- Acute kidney injury: The kidneys suddenly stop working properly.
- Autoimmune diseases: The immune system attacks healthy tissues, including the kidneys.
- Hematuria: An abnormal amount of blood is present in the urine.
- Hydronephrosis: Instead of urine promptly draining from the kidney into the bladder, there is a buildup of urine in the kidney.
- Incontinence: Children having unexpected urine leaking past the typical age of toilet training. This can happen during the day, night or both.
- Nephrotic syndrome: The filtering mechanism in the kidney is damaged, so kidneys allow too much protein in the urine and children experience swelling.
- Proteinuria: An abnormal amount of protein is present in the urine.
- Recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs): Multiple episodes of bacterial infections occur in the bladder or kidney.
- Vesicoureteral reflux: Urine doesn’t stay in the bladder after it drains from the bladder and instead goes back up into the kidneys.
Why Do Pediatric Kidney Specialists Treat Hypertension?
In adults, high blood pressure (hypertension) is fairly common as people get older and is often treated by primary care providers. Hypertension in children is less common and requires specialized expertise. Kidney physicians treat high blood pressure in children because it can be caused by hormones related to the kidneys and kidney problems. Often, children with high blood pressure have normal kidneys and the reason for their high blood pressure is related to genetics and complex factors that we don’t fully understand.
Our pediatric nephrologists have the training and experience to assess your child’s high blood pressure and form an effective treatment plan. Your child may be asked to wear a 24-hour blood pressure cuff (also called ambulatory blood pressure monitor or ABPM) to better understand their blood pressure pattern.
The doctor's approach was gentle and encouraging while still providing all of the necessary information. She spent time educating us as parents and explained everything at a six-year-old level to support my son's needs and build his confidence.
Child Life Program
Medical care can be overwhelming for children. Our Child Life Specialists help your child cope with stress, prepare for procedures and understand their care. These highly trained specialists offer your family support as you navigate our health system.
Treatments We Offer
We provide comprehensive, personalized treatment plans based on your child’s needs. Our team offers a range of services for children with kidney and urinary tract diseases, including:
During dialysis, a machine takes over the work of your child’s kidneys and removes waste from their blood. Usually, dialysis is a treatment that helps keep children safe while they wait for a kidney transplant. We may also use dialysis to treat an acute kidney injury.
We remove a small piece of tissue from your child’s kidney to examine under a microscope. A biopsy helps us diagnose kidney problems, determine how severe they are or monitor how well treatment is working.
Children with severe chronic kidney disease may require a kidney transplant to replace their poorly functioning kidney with a healthy donor kidney. Our team doesn’t perform kidney transplants in small children, but we work closely with pediatric transplant teams. We care for your child before and after their transplant, providing comprehensive preparation and follow-up care.
Locations near you
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111 Colchester Avenue
Burlington, VT 05401-1473
