Video: Childhood kidney stones becoming common

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Anyone who's had kidney stones knows they're painful and can be debilitating. 

Now doctors around the country are treating more and more children with the condition.

When 12-year-old Alex Sandosky started having stomach pains, her pediatrician first suspected a virus.

"I just started like throwing up periodically like every two weeks," she said.

But as episodes came more frequently her mother took action.

"I got her set up with a specialist and we started looking to see if there was kidney problems," Julie Sandosky said.

An ultrasound revealed Alex had kidney stones.

"Most people are very surprised that their child has a kidney stone," said Dr. Alicia Neu, of John Hopkins Children's Center. "Most people think of kidney stones as an adult disease."

But anecdotal evidence tells a different story. It's such a problem pediatric kidney stone clinics are popping up across the country.

"We typically see eight to 10 patients in a clinic each session," Neu said. "We receive calls from new patients with kidney stones almost every day."

Some are as young as infants and toddlers. Stones are collections of minerals in urine that crystallize and bind together. They're commonly composed of calcium or uric acid.

They can be tough to diagnose because symptoms vary. They include everything from vomiting, to backaches, to abdominal pain. But there's a telltale sign.

"If their child tells them they have dark urine or bloody urine, they would want to give their physician a call," Neu said.

If left untreated, stones will continue to grow and could lead to kidney damage. When Alex was diagnosed, her stone was eight millimeters.

"If you were to stack eight quarters, and that is about how, you know, the width of it," Julie Sandosky said.

While genetics can play a small role in kidney stone formation, a leading culprit is salt.

So parents should monitor the amount of sodas, chips and processed foods kids get. And kids should drink plenty of fluids.

Most stones will pass on their own with the aid of pain medication. Alex needed three surgeries to clear her kidneys. Today she's in prevention mode.

"I usually just drink a lot of water," Alex said.

Experts say studies show a link between obesity and kidney stones in adults. But so far no studies have been completed in children.

Doctors stress, while many kidney stones are composed of calcium, kids shouldn't steer clear of it. They need enough calcium to form healthy bones.