Demographics of CKD and ESRD in Children

In the past 30 years there have been major improvements in the care of children with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The incidence and prevalence of CKD are fairly similar among published studies in spite of marked differences in case definition, suggesting inconsistencies in ascertainment and measurement so that children with moderate CKD are not yet well identified and/or included. Congenital disorders, including congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT) and hereditary nephropathies, are responsible for about two third of all cases of CKD in developed countries while acquired causes predominate in developing countries. Most young children commenced on dialysis, begin on peritoneal dialysis, while older children start with hemodialysis. The predominant form of renal replacement therapy, particularly in high-income countries, is renal transplantation.