Although we may think of kidney stones as an adult issue, kids of any age can develop them. Learn more about kidney stones and how they’re treated in children.
Doctors find kidney stones in kids more often today. While diseases can cause some stones, experts believe many are related to nutrition, such as too much salt in the diet.
Risk factors for forming kidney stones include:
When kids have kidney stones, they may experience:
Ibuprofen and acetaminophen help relieve pain. Your child’s Mercy doctor may prescribe other medications to help stones pass. You may need to use a filter to catch stones passed in urine so they can be tested in a lab. Drinking large amounts of water and other fluids at home is essential.
Kids in severe pain who are vomiting may need hospital care to get IV fluids and stronger pain medicine. Like adults, kids with large stones or stones that won’t pass may need lithotripsy or other urology procedures.
Mercy has experienced urologists across most of our communities.