|
|
‘Orthostatic Proteinuria’ means ‘Proteinuria due to upright position’. It usually occurs in older children and teenagers and occurs because some proteins get into the urine of the child when he or she is standing up or is in the upright position and is quite active. These children generally have no kidney damage but doctor can assess whether the condition is the harmless one by checking 2 urine samples in separate containers - one collected in the morning just after the child gets up (which should have no proteins) and the second collected throughout the day (which can have small amount of proteins).
In case of orthostatic proteinuria, no treatment is needed and though, exercise can let little protein in the urine, it won't hurt child's kidneys and you do not need to restrict his or her activities. The doctor may confirm once again by checking child's urine again after a few months to see whether the amount of protein in the urine has gone down. If the amount remains the same or increases, your child may be referred to a nephrologist or a kidney specialist who may perform a kidney biopsy and treat the problem according to the results.
In case, the child has some kidney problem or swelling in the kidneys, it is advisable to give less salt to the child to reduce the swelling. Proteins passing into the urine cause inflammation in kidneys that can be controlled by giving prescribed medicines to the child. The medicine is generally prescribed at higher dose in the beginning and the dose reduces with time along with the swelling in kidneys. However, the low dose for the child may have to be continued for months or even years, according to the severity of the condition. It is very important to follow doctor's instructions carefully and get regular checkups done to treat this medical condition.


