3 Types of dietary restrictions for children with nephrotic syndrome

Not only do they need treatment, children who have impaired kidney function must also be given the right food. Yes, proper nutrition can help with the treatment that your little one must undergo. Especially if your little one has nephrotic syndrome. Not all foods are good for children with nephrotic syndrome. Before giving it to your little one, this is what you should pay attention to.

Nephrotic syndrome in children

Nephrotic syndrome is a group of symptoms that indicate a decrease in the function of the kidneys in filtering blood. This condition causes protein in the blood to be carried in the urine or proteinuria, so that the protein in the blood decreases or a hypoalbuminemia condition.

Protein in the blood functions to keep fluids in the bloodstream. When blood protein levels drop, fluid will leak into body tissues and cause fluid buildup or edema.

High blood fat and cholesterol levels are also common in people with nephrotic syndrome. Although nephrotic syndrome can affect people of all ages, it is usually diagnosed first in 2-5 year olds and affects boys more than girls.

Food abstinence for nephrotic syndrome

Childhood is an important period of growth and development because at that time the child knows the environment and forms habits, including eating habits. Children with nephrotic syndrome certainly have a list of foods that must be fulfilled and challenged to help the treatment process.

Therefore, in order for the kidneys to function properly, parents should not give the following foods to children with nephrotic syndrome.

1. Salty food

Limiting consumption of foods high in sodium can help maintain blood pressure and prevent edema. Here are examples of salty foods that kids often love and should cut back on:

Chips and various other types of chips
Mayonnaise, soy sauce, cheese, cheese sauce, tomato sauce and chili sauce
Wafers and biscuits, especially the salty and savory ones. Apart from the taste, wafers and biscuits themselves contain sodium in the baking soda ingredient
Various additional seasonings in the food menu, such as yellow broth in chicken porridge, peanut sauce in dumplings or cilok, soy sauce and sauce on chicken meatballs and noodles, etc.
Instant noodles and other instant packaged foods such as soup and porridge
Side dishes that have been fermented salted, such as salted eggs, dried squid, and dried shrimp.

2. Processed products

Packaged foods and drinks are not good for children with nephrotic syndrome because they are high in sodium. Some examples of processed products that your little one should avoid are:

Nugget, sausages, shredded, and meatballs
Fried chicken, hamburgers, and french fries at fast food restaurants
Packaged sugary drinks, such as juices, sodas, and packaged sweet teas.

3. Fatty foods and high cholesterol

Patients with nephrotic syndrome also often experience disturbances in fat metabolism which causes high blood fat levels. The use of steroids in the treatment of nephrotic syndrome also has a side effect of increased appetite, which causes large weight gain. Therefore, choosing the right type of fat is very important and you should avoid:

All forms of food are processed in a way deep frying (Tempe mendoan, fried chicken, fried foods, various roadside snacks such as cilor, maklor, egg rolls)
Sweet and high energy snacks, such as cakes, chocolate, donuts, drinks bubble, and ice cream
Snacklightly packaged, such as chiki, potato chips, nuts, etc.

To maintain good kidney function, apart from avoiding these three types of food, children with nephrotic syndrome must also pay attention to proper protein and fluid intake. The amount of protein and fluids that can be consumed by each child is very different according to the clinical condition, which of course must always be consulted with your doctor and your child's kidney diet.

But generally, it is not recommended to give a low protein diet to children with nephrotic syndrome, considering that even though their kidneys are in trouble, children still need sufficient protein to grow and fight infection.