Introduction: Understanding the Kid in Kidney Conditions

This chapter serves as a greater introduction to this book at large. To achieve this, we review normative child development to first center pediatric care at the level of the child patient. We also explore the common factors at play when treating a child with chronic kidney disease. We propose a model to consider that helps illustrate the variety of factors—including individual, healthcare, community, and societal factors—that affect each child with kidney disease. We also offer a helpful analogy—that is, the process of going from the rider to the driver of a car—to discuss the evolution of managing kidney disease in a child’s—then teenager’s—life. Finally, we discuss why multidisciplinary care is helpful not only in the treatment of chronic kidney disease, but ultimately in the prevention of chronic kidney disease.