Transplant is the preferred treatment for children with kidney disease, but 75% of them end up on dialysis. Some are waiting to grow big enough to accept an adult kidney and some are simply waiting for a donor. According to a new study from the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre in Canada, the risk of death for children with end stage kidney disease on dialysis has decreased dramatically over the last 20 years. Reviewing an American database of more than 20,000 kids on dialysis between 1990 and 2010, the scientists found that the risk of death decreased by about 20% every five years. They believe the decrease could be due to improvements in pre-dialysis care and dialysis technology, but more research is needed to confirm the exact reasons. The research uncovered more positive news—after changes to the kidney allocation policy, children are now spending fewer years on dialysis waiting for a kidney.
Source:
Dramatic Decrease in Risk of Death for Children on Dialysis, McGill University Health Centre, May 8, 2013