Abu Dhabi: The lifespan of a child who suffers from kidney failure can be shortened to just 10 years after the onset, and these young patients continue to require regular dialysis to survive. To make the arduous process more comfortable, the first dedicated paediatric dialysis unit in the UAE today (March 29) expanded its capacity.

There are now nine dialysis units for paediatric patients at Shaikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC), one of Abu Dhabi’s leading public hospitals, compared to just two when paediatric dialysis was first introduced to the emirate in 2003.

“We have seen a steady increase in the number of patients and are currently treating about 27 paediatric patients,” Dr Zubaida Al Esmaili, deputy chief executive officer at Abu Dhabi Health Services Company’s (Seha) Dialysis Services unit, told Gulf News.

“It is not that kidney disease is necessarily on the rise among young children. Instead, we now try to offer as much treatment as possible for conditions that were earlier thought to be untreatable,” she added.

Kidney failure in children can occur due to a number of causes, including congenital developmental abnormalities in infants, or an inflammation of the kidneys due to an autoimmune condition. In addition, the condition can be passed on genetically, and this type of kidney failure is more common in the region than the West because of the high rate of consanguineous marriages here, Dr Zubaida explained.

She also warned that obesity among children can contribute to hypertension in individuals as young as five to 10 years old, and high blood pressure at such a young age could lead to early kidney function impairment and renal failure. Moreover, high-power painkillers can also harm the kidneys greatly, especially when taken without the advice of a doctor.

The new dialysis unit is managed under the umbrella of the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (Seha) Dialysis Services, and is colourfully decorated with wall art and cheerful bed linen. It provides treatment for young patients who need haemodialysis, a procedure that removes fluid and waste products from the blood, as well as patients who opt for peritoneal dialysis, a slightly different method in which the fluid and waste is removed through the abdominal cavity and which can be conducted in the comfort of the patient’s home. Both Emirati and expatriate children with kidney impairment and failure receive care.

“Our youngest patient is just seven months of age, while the oldest is 14 years. Of course, dialysis is just a bridge until the child can receive a transplant, because the process itself takes about four hours each time and most paediatric patients must undergo it about four times a week,” Dr Zubaida said.

The new facility also allows more children to interact with one another, thus making the hospital experience more comfortable and relaxed for them.

She added that most children are also unable to start schooling because of the demands of dialysis.

“This is why we have educators who visit our hospitalised patients and give them a chance to expand their knowledge,” the doctor said

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