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Home › Articles › Nutrition and Health › Kid-size Kidney Stones

Kid-size Kidney Stones

A New Concern for Parents

By Suzy Feine

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The less common types of stones include struvite stones that are associated with bacterial urinary infections; cystine stones, caused by excessive cystine in the urine; and uric acid stones, caused by excessive uric acid in the urine. Calcium phosphate, calcium oxalate, struvite, cystine and uric acid stones all can be hereditary.

Other causes can be related to diet or medication. "Too much salt [sodium] in the diet can cause elevations in urine calcium, which can lead to stones," says Dr. Pope. "The major offender, however, is probably the lack of adequate hydration in the diet. Certain medications can also cause increased calcium excretion in the urine that leads to stone formation, such as furosemide, which is often given to premature infants."

What Is a Kidney Stone?
Kidney stones form when substances in the urine crystallize. These crystals bond together to form a mass in the center of the kidney where urine collects before passing through the ureter. Small stones can easily slip through the ureter and pass out of the body through the urine virtually undetected. Larger stones can irritate the ureter as they pass, often causing pain and possibly blocking the flow of urine. Even larger stones, too large to pass through the ureter, can become lodged in the kidney, requiring surgical ntervention to remove.

Treatment Choices

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