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When renal disease strikes a child at any age, from birth to young adulthood, it also impacts a circle of family, friends and community. Therefore, the therapeutic management of children with chronic kidney disease requires a multifaceted approach. From the medical perspective, it requires attention to the co-morbid conditions of metabolic bone disease, anemia, cardiovascular health and metabolic control. Many children also require additional attention to the urinary tract and bladder function. However, proper care does not stop at the doorstep of the physician. As a team, we must attend to behavioral and mental health, impacts on education and family life, as well as ultimate preparation for self-care as an adult. And in the transition through these many stages, children may find themselves in need of different forms of care and renal replacement therapy, including dialysis and transplantation.
The University of Miami’s Comprehensive Children’s Kidney Failure Center (CCKFC) is one of only a few centers in Florida designated as a treatment center for all children whose kidney function falls significantly below normal, approximately 75% of that expected for the child’s age. Through state funding from Children’s Medical Services since 1975, the Center is designed to recognize those patients in need of special services and intervene early. Intervention includes not only medical treatments to slow progression of kidney disease and manage the associated conditions, but dedicated nursing, social work, dietary and psychological support for the impact of pediatric chronic kidney disease. Our team is centered around and directed by our patients and their families, working towards the common goal of sustaining health and quality of life for the future.
The University of Miami’s CCKFC incorporates care throughout the spectrum of chronic kidney disease, from the outpatient care clinic, through the Holtz Children’s Hospital Pediatric Dialysis Unit and the Miami Transplant Institute. In addition to the coordination of interdisciplinary care, our CCKFC is committed to the betterment of care through quality improvement and scientific investigation. Our team is active in the Learning and Action Network (LAN) through which our disease-specific Statewide Network for Access and Quality (SNAQ) is engaged in improving care for children and youth with special healthcare needs.