Renal screening in children after exposure to low dose melamine in Hong Kong: cross sectional study.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the renal outcomes of children after exposure to low dose melamine in Hong Kong.


METHODS
Cross sectional study.


METHODS
Special assessment centres, Hong Kong.


METHODS
3170 children (1422 girls and 1748 boys) aged 12 years or less referred from territory-wide primary care clinics after daily consumption for one month or more of milk products tainted with melamine.


METHODS
Presence of renal stones and haematuria.


RESULTS
One child had a confirmed renal stone, seven were suspected of having melamine related renal deposits, and 208 (6.6%) were positive for blood in urine by reagent strip. A proportion of these children were followed up at the special assessment centre, but only 7.4% of those positive for blood on reagent strip were confirmed by microscopy, suggesting an overall estimated prevalence of less than 1% for microscopic haematuria.


CONCLUSIONS
No severe adverse renal outcomes, such as acute renal failure or urinary tract obstruction, were detected in children after exposure to low dose melamine. Our results were similar to territory-wide findings in Hong Kong. Even including the seven children with suspected renal deposits, the prevalence of suspected melamine related abnormalities on ultrasonography was only 0.2%. None of these children required specific treatment. The prevalence of microscopic haematuria was probably overestimated by the reagent strip. These data suggest that large scale and urgent screening programmes may not be informative or cost effective for populations who have been exposed to low dose melamine.
Lam
Hugh S
HS
Department of Paediatrics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong. hshslam@cuhk.edu.hk
Ng
Pak C
PC
Chu
Winnie C W
WC
Wong
William
W
Chan
Dorothy F Y
DF
Ho
Stella S
SS
Wong
Ka T
KT
Ahuja
Anil T
AT
Li
Chi K
CK
D000553:Ambulatory Care; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005506:Food Contamination; D006417:Hematuria / Q000139:chemically induced*; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007669:Kidney Calculi / Q000139:chemically induced*; D008297:Male; D008892:Milk / Q000009:adverse effects; D014227:Triazines / Q000633:toxicity*
D014227:Triazines; C011907:melamine