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RSCM allays viral concerns over kidney failure in children
As a recent video message from an RSCM pediatric nephrologist makes assurances that the number of children receiving dialysis has not increased, the KPAI has used the resurgence in public concern to again urge the government to tighten controls for domestic production of unhealthy foods containing high amounts of sugar, fat and salt.
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Stock illustration of healthy eating (Shutterstock/KomootP)
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pediatric specialist at Cipto Mangunkusumo Central General Hospital (RSCM) has made assurances that the country is not seeing a sudden rise in kidney failure among children after a social media post claiming that scores of children were undergoing dialysis at the hospital in Salemba, Central Jakarta.
Dialysis is a treatment that removes waste and excess fluids from the blood of individuals with kidney disease or kidney failure, replicating the natural function of kidneys.
The viral post sparked widespread concern among netizens about children’s health and excessive consumption of unhealthy foods high in sugar, salt and fat.
Some also expressed worry over potential reoccurrence of tainted medication leading to acute kidney failure in children, such as the contaminated cough syrup incident in 2022.
Official data show that around 200 children nationwide died of acute kidney injury that year after consuming cough syrup contaminated with toxic ethylene glycol (EG).
Read also: Health group warns of high sugar content in Prabowo’s free milk program
Eka Laksmi Hidayati, a pediatric nephrologist at Cipto Mangunkusumo hospital, said the hospital was currently treating some 60 pediatric dialysis patients and that it had not seen an increase in the number of patients.
