Evaluation of behavioral disorders in children on regular hemodialysis

Background Children with chronic kidney disease (CKD) on regular hemodialysis are particularly at high risk for behavioral and psychological disorders. Aim To evaluate the association between behavioral disorders and CKD in several children and adolescents with CKD on regular hemodialysis to compare these findings with healthy controls. Patients and methods This case–control study included 60 children and adolescents (30 patients and 30 controls), their ages range from 5 to 17 years; a study was carried out at Al-Zahraa University Hospital. Cases were taken consecutively from April 2019 to September 2019. We assessed children’s behavior by the Arabic version of the child behavior checklist and Conners’ parent rating scale. Results There was a high frequency (66.7%) of behavioral disorders in children with CKD on regular hemodialysis compared with 30% in the control group, there was a significant increase in the incidence of behavioral disorders with increasing the duration of hemodialysis. Internalizing and externalizing symptoms and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder were more frequent in children with CKD on regular hemodialysis compared with healthy controls. Conclusion There was a high frequency of behavioral disorders among children with CKD on regular hemodialysis, including internalizing and externalizing symptoms and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.