Proteinuria is the presence of protein in your child's urine. All children lose small amounts of protein in their urine. Too much means that your child's kidneys may not be working properly. The kidneys are supposed to filter waste, extra fluid, and salt. These wastes leave the body in the urine.
Another type of proteinuria in older children is orthostatic proteinuria. Orthostatic means "upright." It is called “orthostatic proteinuria” because protein enters the urine only when the child is standing up.
Children with this condition do not have kidney damage. But for some unknown reason, they lose testclear powdered urine protein in their urine during the day when they are active. At night, while they sleep, their kidneys do not leave any protein in their urine.
You cannot see protein in your child's urine. However, it can be associated with swelling in your child's eyelids, ankles, and legs. High blood pressure is another sign of this condition. Proteinuria is painless.
Sometimes an infection or chemicals damage the kidneys. This affects the way the kidneys work. If your child has an infection, her proteinuria will go away once the infection is treated. Protein in urine can also be associated with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Tell your doctor if your child has been excessively thirsty, hungry, unintentionally lost weight, or has fruity breath odor. These can be signs of type 1 diabetes.
Because you cannot see protein in your child's urine, it must be diagnosed with a urine sample. The sample will be sent to a laboratory for diagnosis. Your doctor may want to retest your child's urine for protein, as it often goes away on its own (transient proteinuria). If it is still high, your doctor may ask you to take a 24-hour urine sample from your child. This allows your doctor to measure the amount of protein in your urine more accurately. The doctor may also do a blood test.
To diagnose orthostatic proteinuria, your child's doctor will examine 2 urine samples. The first is collected in the morning, right after your child wakes up. The second sample is collected throughout the day. The samples are kept in separate containers. If your child has orthostatic proteinuria, the morning sample will have no protein. But the urine collected during the day will have protein in it.