Chronic kidney failure is caused by hereditary kidney diseases in 50% of children and 20% of adults. Many kidney diseases can lead to end-stage renal disease, requiring kidney transplantation. A significant portion of patients with this condition, known as nephrotic syndrome (NS), struggle with “steroid-resistant NS.” The prognosis for these patients is poor, as 30–40% tend to progress to end-stage renal disease requiring dialysis and transplantation.

Genetic kidney diseases are usually congenital but can manifest at any stage of life.

Prenatal Period:
Some genetic kidney diseases may become evident before birth. For example, conditions like polycystic kidney disease often begin during the prenatal period.

Childhood:
Certain genetic kidney diseases, such as Alport syndrome, may show symptoms during childhood. Early signs often include kidney function problems, urinary tract infections, or blood in the urine.

Adolescence:
Kidney issues related to genetic metabolic disorders may become more apparent during adolescence. For example, some genetic conditions associated with kidney stone formation may appear at this stage.

Adulthood:
Some genetic kidney diseases may only become noticeable in young adulthood or later. These can present as progressive kidney dysfunction, hypertension, or proteinuria.