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At least 10 million Americans suffer from incontinence, which means that they are not able to control the times when they urinate. In some cases, the loss of urine is so small that people are hardly aware of it. In other cases, the amount of leakage is quite large. Only about 10 percent of people who suffer from incontinence seek treatment. Without treatment, many of these people stay at home and withdraw from life unnecessarily. Incontinence...

An ectopic kidney is a kidney that is out of place.  An ectopic kidney is caused by a birth defect.

An ectopic kidney happens while a baby is growing in the womb.  Normally, the kidneys form a kidney bud within the pelvis (hip bones). When a signal is released from the kidney tissue, the kidneys should move into their position behind the ribcage.

In the case of...

More than 37 million American adults are living with kidney disease and most don’t know it. “There are a number of physical signs of kidney disease, but sometimes people attribute them to other conditions. Also, those with kidney disease tend not to experience symptoms until the very late stages, when the kidneys are ...

​​​Infections in the throat or on the skin can sometimes cause short term kidney disease in children. This happens when the immune system, which fights off infection, also attacks the kidneys during that fight. This can damage the kidneys and make them less able to filter blood until healing is complete.

The kidneys have about one million tiny units that filter our...

Reflux is a disorder in which urine backs up (refluxes) from the bladder to the kidney. The amount of reflux can be large or small.

In the human urinary tract there is a valve where the bladder joins the urine tube, or ureter, that comes from the kidney. Some children are born with a problem valve that does not close properly, so the urine refluxes back into the kidney. Other problems, called voiding disorders,...

Urinary tract infections are responsible for nearly 10 million healthcare visits each year. Here’s what you need to know.

The urinary system (also called the “urinary tract”) is the part of your body that makes urine.  It is made up of two kidneys, the ureters, the bladder, and the urethra. 

Your kidneys make urine by removing wastes and extra water from your blood.  ...

In recent years, better ultrasound machines have allowed your doctor to see your baby's kidneys more clearly during pregnancy. Different types of problems can be found including absence of one or both kidneys, abnormal position of a kidney, hydronephrosis (swelling of a kidney), fluid-filled cysts and tumors.

The following overview of the urinary tract will help you understand the problems your baby may have.

What does the...

Bladder: An organ in your body that holds urine (pee) produced by kidneys.

Blood pressure: The force of blood pushing against the inner walls of blood vessels.

High blood pressure means the force is too high.

Chronic: Constant, long-term, does not go away.

Chronic disease: A health problem that lasts many years (or forever) and may get worse over time.

Diabetes: A disease that causes blood sugar levels...