A NEED FOR REEVALUATION OF SPORTS PARTICIPATION RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CHILDREN WITH A SOLITARY KIDNEY

The majority of renal injuries in children associated with kidney loss (21 of 28) occurred as a result of motor vehicle accidents, pedestrians being struck by a vehicle or other object, and falls. There were no kidneys lost in any contact sport. Sledding, skiing and rollerblading resulted in kidney loss. Current recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Sports Medicine and Fitness prohibiting children with a solitary kidney from participating in contact sports appear to be overly protective and need to be reevaluated. In some instances activities listed as limited contact sports resulted in renal loss, showing that the risk associated with these activities has been underestimated.