Low Creatinine In Children: Causes, Symptoms, And Treatment

Low Creatinine In Children: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, And Treatment

Image: Shutterstock

Renal disease, neuromuscular disorders, and urinary tract obstructions can cause low creatinine in children. However, creatinine levels may vary depending on a person’s age, gender, and health status. Usually, men have higher creatinine levels than women, and children have lower levels than adults (1) (2).

Creatinine is a waste product produced in the body during muscle metabolism. It is transported in the blood to the kidneys and eliminated from the body. Urine tests and blood tests help determine the amount of creatinine in the body.

Read this post to know the causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of low creatinine in children.

In This Article

Causes Of Low Creatinine Level In Children

The normal blood creatinine level in children between three and 18 years is 0.5 to 1.0 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), and for children below three years, it is 0.3 to 0.7 mg/dL (1).

Sometimes, the serum creatinine (blood creatinine) level drops below normal due to the following causes (1) (3) (4) (5):

Low muscle mass (occurs due to malnutrition, inadequate physical activity, neuromuscular diseases, etc.)
Liver failure
Insufficient protein in the diet (generally due to a strict vegetarian diet)
Excessive weight loss
Impaired renal functionⁱXA condition when the kidneys are unable to eliminate waste and maintain fluid balance

Furthermore, the creatinine clearance (urine creatinine) level may drop due to the following causes (6):

Kidney disease

Kidney disease can cause low creatinine in children

Image: iStock

Blocked urinary tract
Heart failure
Dehydration.

Symptoms Of Low Creatinine Level In Children

Low creatinine levels in children do not cause specific symptoms. The symptoms are an outcome of the underlying condition, which are as follows (7) (8) (9):

Poor posture, fatigue, and loss of muscle strength for low muscle mass

Liver enlargement, itching, fatigue, and jaundice for chronic liver disease
Being underweight or overweight, poor growth, lethargy, and tooth decay from poor nutrition

Being overweight is a symptom of low creatinine in child

Image: IStock

Diagnosis Of Low Creatinine Level In Children

Under typical conditions, it is advisable to assess creatinine levels on an annual basis (10). Two types of tests help diagnose the creatinine levels in children:

Serum creatinine level: The blood creatinine level is measured through a blood test. If the level is lower than normal, it may indicate problems with the muscles, nerves leading to the muscles, liver, or nutrition (11).
Creatinine clearance: This test indicates how well the kidneys remove creatinine from the blood and accurately detects kidney function issues. Creatinine clearance involves testing a blood and urine sample collected over 24 hours. The time of urine collection is an important factor for accurate diagnosis.

Children are advised to do the following before the test (6) (12):

Refrain from eating overnight
Avoid meat for 24 hours
Drink plenty of fluid for urine collection

Drink plenty of fluid for urine collection

Image: IStock

Since low creatinine levels generally indicate muscle loss, further assessments such as a muscle biopsyⁱXA minor surgical procedure where a sample of tissue from a specific muscle is removed to diagnose muscle-related conditions , blood tests, and an electromyogramⁱXA device for capturing the electrical activity of skeletal muscles can determine the reason (13).

Treatment Of Low Creatinine In Children

Your child’s healthcare provider may advise treatments based on the causes.

If a child has liver problems, medications, lifestyle changes, and surgery help treat the condition (14).
In case of loss in muscle mass, medications, physical therapy, surgery, support of a walker and walking machines, and nutritional counseling are suggested (13). Physical activity is recommended for increasing the body’s serum creatinine level (15).

If the creatinine level is low due to malnutrition, having a balanced diet by adding fruits and vegetables, meat, fish, eggs, starchy food, and dairy products will help control the condition (16).

A balanced diet can help treat low creatinine in child

Image: Shutterstock

Creatine supplements may be given; however, such supplements have not yet been determined safe for children under 18 years. A study in 2012 found that 62 out of 1103 middle and high school students in the US used creatine supplements, but as their safety is still questionable, intake may lead to further problems (17).

High Creatinine Levels: Causes And Symptoms

High levels of creatinine in the body can be determined with a blood test. The causes of high creatinine levels in children are (1) (4)

Chronic kidney disease
Muscle disease
Blocked urinary system
Diabetes
Dehydration
Excess protein in the diet
Overactive thyroid
Congestive heart failure (the heart works harder than normal to pump blood)
Pediatric medicines

Quick fact

High creatinine may also occur due to shock in children (1).

High levels of serum creatinine may indicate renal disease without noticeable symptoms in the beginning. However, as the disease progresses, it produces these symptoms (4) (12):

Unexplained fatigue

Children may be fatigued due to high serum creatinine

Image: IStock

Dehydration
Less urine
Dark urine
Swollen feet, face, and eyes
Loss of appetite
Nausea
Itching

Be watchful

Painful urination, mild to moderate fever, and fatigue are other symptoms of high creatinine levels in children (4).

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What level of creatinine indicates kidney failure in a child?

Normal creatinine levels for each child can vary depending on their body size. So, the creatinine levels indicating renal failure can also vary in children. Pediatric nephrology specialists (kidney specialists) assess the creatinine levels with child size to establish the diagnosis. For example, if the normal creatinine level for a child with a specific size is 0.5, the child’s kidneys are in 100 percent working condition. Kidney function can be half for the same child if the creatinine level rises to one. If the creatine is between one and two, kidney function would be only 25% (18).

2. Does drinking water help creatinine levels?

Drinking enough water can reduce creatinine levels. But, this will not improve kidney function. That means drinking water only gives you low creatinine levels on tests and does not make a difference in existing kidney problems such as kidney damage or kidney injury. Excess water intake can also be harmful as low water intake (19).

3. How often should a child’s creatinine levels be monitored?

There is no ideal time to monitor creatinine levels. However, you may do your child’s blood and urine test routinely every year. In this way, it is believed that any early signs of illness may be effectively diagnosed.

4. Can low creatinine levels be a hereditary condition in children?

Child specialist Dr. Mubina Agboatwala opines, “Low creatinine levels can be hereditary in a rare condition known as CCDS, which is associated with delayed mental development, seizures, hypotonia, and other symptoms. However, this condition is very rare in children.”

Low creatinine in children may occur due to several reasons. It is not considered a disease on its own but usually indicates an underlying health condition such as thyroid, diabetes, low muscle mass, or issues related to kidney health. Therefore, parents should immediately consult their child’s pediatrician if they notice symptoms related to these conditions. The treatment process for low creatinine levels will be based on the diagnosis. It is advised that children should follow the treatment procedure diligently to speed up their recovery.

Infographic: More About Creatine Supplements

The use of creatine supplements in children has not been thoroughly studied. However, these supplements are promising in providing benefits to children with low creatinine levels and improving athletic performance. The infographic below summarizes the benefits and safety of such supplements.

more about creatine supplements for kids (infographic)

Get the high-quality PDF version of this infographic.

Key Pointers

Impaired renal function can cause a drop in serum (blood) and urine creatinine levels.
Fatigue, loss of muscle strength, poor development, lethargy, tooth decay, etc., are signs of low creatinine levels in children.
Urinalysis and creatinine blood tests can diagnose its levels at an early stage.
Even if there are no symptoms at first, high serum creatinine levels can indicate renal issues.

References

MomJunction's articles are written after analyzing the research works of expert authors and institutions. Our references consist of resources established by authorities in their respective fields. You can learn more about the authenticity of the information we present in our editorial policy.