It used to be that doctors saw Kindergartners who had kidney stones only very seldom. Now, some report seeing more than one a week. Kidney stones are yet another health ailment that used to be associated with the middle-aged. But like Type 1 diabetes (the adult-onset diabetes), today's kids are getting them too!
Is six the new 60 or what?
This NY Times article on kid kidney stones says there's no reliable data to show the steep increase in reported cases, but the fact that some hospitals are opening pediatric kidney stone clinics should indicate something, right?
No doubt the eating habits of modern day kids has something to do with this. But just what's the culprit? Salt. At least that's what some researchers think. Here's why:
Forty to 65 percent of kidney stones are formed when oxalate, a byproduct of certain foods, binds to calcium in the urine. (Other common types include calcium phosphate stones and uric acid
stones.) And the two biggest risk factors for this binding process are
not drinking enough fluids and eating too much salt; both increase the
amount of calcium and oxalate in the urine.
OK, so cut back on the chips? Well, sure, that. But check out these other culprits:
... sandwich meats; canned soups; packaged meals; and even sports drinks
like Gatorade, which are so popular among schoolchildren they are now
sold in child-friendly juice boxes.
But also stuff like Veggie Booty, Kraft Mac 'n' Cheese, that organic Annie's mac'n'cheese too, granola bars, Goldfish crackers, Juicy Juice -- all of it, even the stuff marketed as health food. Eat and drink enough of it in a day, everyday, and, well, now I get where these ailments are coming from.
They say kids also aren't drinking enough water, which is the first step in preventing kidney stones.
Judgy McJudgerson, here, but I'm always surprised to see kids -- young kids -- carry around sports drinks and nowhere near a basketball court or soccer field. It's just what they drink. Do parents not know how much salt is in each bottle?
Photo: NYTimes
