Caring for your child at home

If your child has been diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome, you'll need to monitor their condition on a daily basis to check for signs of relapses.

You'll need to use a dipstick to test your child's urine for protein the first time they urinate each day.

The results of a dipstick test are recorded as either:

  • negative 0mg of proteinuria per decilitre of urine (mg/dL)
  • trace 15-30mg/dL
  • 1+ 30-100mg/dL
  • 2+ 100-300mg/dL
  • 3+ 300/1,000mg/dL
  • 4+ over 1,000mg/dL

The result for each day needs to be written down in a diary for your doctor or specialist nurse to review during your outpatient appointments.

You should also note down the dose of any medication they're taking and any other comments, such as whether your child is feeling unwell.

If the dipstick shows 3+ or more of protein in the urine for three days in a row, this means your child is having a relapse. If this happens, you either need to follow the advice given about starting steroids or contact your doctor.

You should seek immediatemedical advice if:

  • your child has come into contact with someone who has chickenpox or measles and your doctor has told you that your child is not immune to these illnesses
  • your child is unwell or has a fever
  • your child has diarrhoea and is vomiting
Content supplied by the NHS Website

Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 21 Dez 2018