Pediatric kidney transplantation part 113

General recommendations

Bone health

Long term use of prednisone may place your child at increased risk for osteoporosis (weakening of bones) and bone fractures. It is therefore very important to get enough vitamin D and calcium from food. Some good sources of calcium are:

• Milk
• Cheese
• Yogurt
• Canned salmon or sardines with bones
• Calcium-fortified orange juice

When possible, choose lower fat milk products. This will help control weight gain and promote a heart healthy diet.

Vitamin D deficiency is very common in children. Your transplant doctors will likely test for Vitamin D deficiency and possibly prescribe vitamin D supplements with or without a calcium supplement in order to keep your child's bone healthy.

You may need to increase the phosphorus in your child's diet particularly if your child was on a dietary phosporous restriction before the transplant. The best sources are:

• Dairy products
• Nuts and nut butters
• Dried beans, lentils and peas
• Seeds