“Can a child live with one kidney?”
I am 21 year old male and my brother is very sick. I was wondering if a child can live with one kidney?
7 Answers
Yes, if the kidney is not diseased. People can even live with half a kidney.
Yes, it is possible to live with one kidney.
Yes
Yes
Yes, people can live full lives with only one kidney. Many siblings donate their kidneys to a loved one if it is a match. You need to be tested first
Dear concerned brother,
Kidney filter units are only made until 4 weeks before birth in babies that are born at term. Like other branching organs such as the pancreas and the lungs, kidney filter units cannot be made after that. Not everyone has 600,000 filter units in each kidney at birth. Genetic factors and factors of the environment such as famine and possibly obesity may result in a lower number of filters. A blockage of the kidneys can also lead to a reduced number of filter units. During life, we slowly lose kidney filter units. This may be one of the reasons why (wo)man cannot live more than 120 years. A famine during the 2nd or 3rd trimester of the pregnancy such as the Dutch famine 1944/1945 can lead to a smaller number of filters and an increased risk of high blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes in the offspring, as shown by Barker.
If we have a lower number of filters, we generally live less long. However, life style plays a huge role. For instance, in Norway, where most kidney transplants are done from living donors, the life expectancy of the kidney donors is actually longer than that of the general population because the healthiest people are selected as donors and there is a very healthy life style in Norway. Avoiding overweight or obesity, a sedentary life style and healthy diet that consists mostly of vegetables are known to slow the loss of kidney filter units. Moreover, there are medications such as angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor antagonists that can help to slow the decline of the remaining kidney filter units by blocking the kidney filter units from overworking. Strict blood pressure control also helps. A nephrologist can help guide such therapies.
From your question it sounds as if you are an older brother who is worried about your younger sibling having only one kidney. If that kidney is completely healthy, your brother can be fine, although his blood pressure and protein in the urine should be monitored. It appears that the legacy of losing a kidney in early life is worse than when donating a kidney as an adult, however, the statistics are based on no intervention. If that other kidney is also stressed, then the answer to your question is that one should be concerned. Nonetheless, you can control lifestyle and diet and you can take your brother to a pediatric nephrologist who can guide you about the most appropriate interventions.
Hope this helps,
Guido Filler, MD, PhD, FRCPC
Kidney filter units are only made until 4 weeks before birth in babies that are born at term. Like other branching organs such as the pancreas and the lungs, kidney filter units cannot be made after that. Not everyone has 600,000 filter units in each kidney at birth. Genetic factors and factors of the environment such as famine and possibly obesity may result in a lower number of filters. A blockage of the kidneys can also lead to a reduced number of filter units. During life, we slowly lose kidney filter units. This may be one of the reasons why (wo)man cannot live more than 120 years. A famine during the 2nd or 3rd trimester of the pregnancy such as the Dutch famine 1944/1945 can lead to a smaller number of filters and an increased risk of high blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes in the offspring, as shown by Barker.
If we have a lower number of filters, we generally live less long. However, life style plays a huge role. For instance, in Norway, where most kidney transplants are done from living donors, the life expectancy of the kidney donors is actually longer than that of the general population because the healthiest people are selected as donors and there is a very healthy life style in Norway. Avoiding overweight or obesity, a sedentary life style and healthy diet that consists mostly of vegetables are known to slow the loss of kidney filter units. Moreover, there are medications such as angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor antagonists that can help to slow the decline of the remaining kidney filter units by blocking the kidney filter units from overworking. Strict blood pressure control also helps. A nephrologist can help guide such therapies.
From your question it sounds as if you are an older brother who is worried about your younger sibling having only one kidney. If that kidney is completely healthy, your brother can be fine, although his blood pressure and protein in the urine should be monitored. It appears that the legacy of losing a kidney in early life is worse than when donating a kidney as an adult, however, the statistics are based on no intervention. If that other kidney is also stressed, then the answer to your question is that one should be concerned. Nonetheless, you can control lifestyle and diet and you can take your brother to a pediatric nephrologist who can guide you about the most appropriate interventions.
Hope this helps,
Guido Filler, MD, PhD, FRCPC
Yes, many do- those receiving a kidney, and those accepting a kidney
