Anemia in Children with Chronic Kidney Disease

Anemia in children with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is common secondary to inadequate erythropoietin production, iron deficiency, blood loss, inflammation, secondary hyperparathyroidism, uremic toxins, and nutritional deficiencies. Anemia has a variety of deleterious consequences, including associations with increased mortality and left ventricular hypertrophy. Recombinant human erythropoietin is effective in treating anemia in children with CKD, and recent studies show that darbepoetin alpha is an attractive alternative because it requires less frequent injections. Iron deficiency is a major cause of anemia that is resistant to erythropoietin or darbepoetin alpha. Although oral iron is effective in some patients, many children, especially those receiving hemodialysis, require intravenous iron to replenish their iron stores. Both acute dosing and chronic dosing of intravenous iron are effective in pediatric patients.