About Our Renal Nutrition Program

Nutrition is a vital component in the therapy of children with chronic kidney disease and kidney-related conditions. Our renal dietitians work closely with you and your child as part of an interdisciplinary team to provide nutritional care for the best possible outcome. Our registered dietitians provide individual counseling and education to patients and their families in an outpatient setting and work to promote adequate growth and manage lab values.

What do the kidneys do?

Kidneys are your body’s filtration system. They are very important and have many jobs such as removing waste, reabsorbing nutrients, and maintaining pH balance. If your kidneys aren’t working properly, you may have too much or too little of some nutrients in your blood. A typical “renal diet” involves sodium, potassium, and phosphorus.

Pediatric Kidney Disease

Birth defects, genetic diseases, urine blockage and reflux, infections, trauma, or nephrotic syndrome can cause kidney disease in children.

What do we treat?

  • Chronic Kidney Disease
  • Hemodialysis
  • Peritoneal Dialysis
  • Hypertension
  • Nephrotic Syndrome
  • Kidney transplant

How can we help?

  • Manage tube feeding
  • Promote general, healthful eating from birth through adolescence
  • Provide counseling for weight loss and weight gain
  • Educate on specific nutrients (potassium, sodium, phosphorus, protein, etc)

What is a “Renal Diet”

Your renal diet will depend on what condition you have. Some children need to reduce the amount of potassium, sodium or phosphorus they eat on a daily basis. Some children will need to increase the amount of these nutrients in their diet. Your doctor will let you know which nutrients you may need to reduce or supplement. Our registered dietitian will speak more in depth on food sources, reading labels, and substitutions based on your child’s specific needs and answer any questions you might have.

For More Information

Please call our dietitian line at (757) 668-8688 or our Nephrology team at (757) 668-7596 with any questions.