Characteristics of renal insufficiency in children

Renal insufficiency is characterized by a reduced tolerance to variation in intake of a number of dietary constituents e.g., sodium chloride, protein, and phosphorus. Intakes easily tolerated in normal health are excessive for patients with uremia. Some of the metabolic consequences of uremia may result in relative deficiencies of some nutrients, e.g., calcium. Anorexia, dietary constraints, and emotional reactions to chronic disease may lead to energy deficiency. The dietary treatment of renal insufficiency is not well-defined, and ther is considerable disagreement about its value. The present report relates these problems to children with renal insufficiency with a particular focus on how the nutritional abnormalities of renal insufficiency might affect either the statural growth or weight gain and body composition.