Kidney transplantation gives your child a healthy, working kidney. You'll need to be extra careful over the next few months.

Your health care provider has prescribed medicine to keep your child's body from rejecting (not accepting) the new kidney. A side effect of the medicine is that your child is more likely to get infections. Sometimes, the area around the surgical site also can become infected.

The transplant team will work with you to keep your child healthy.

• Follow the information that your team gave you for specific details. 
• Call your transplant team for help with any questions or concerns. 
• Go to all follow-up medical visits. 
• Check your child's blood pressure and temperature as directed by the transplant team.

Medicines:

• Give medicines to your child on time and as directed.
• Store medicines as directed. Some may need to be refrigerated.
• Gently shake liquid medicines before giving them to your child.
• Check with your transplant team before starting any new medicines, including prescription medicines and over-the-counter medicines (those you can buy without a prescription). Some may not be safe for your child. Also ask the transplant team before giving any vitamins or herbal supplements.
• On days that your child is having blood work done, do not give the morning dose of anti-rejection medicines (such as tacrolimus and/or mycophenolate) until after the blood work is done.
• Tell the staff at your child's school or day care about the transplant and make sure they can give your child medicines if needed. Also let them know which signs to look for that might mean something is wrong, and what to do if they notice any problems.

Infection Prevention:

• All family members should wash their hands well and often.
• Help your child avoid crowds until the transplant team says it's OK.
• Have your child wear a mask in public as directed by the transplant team.
• Try to keep your child away from people who are sick.
• Keep any cuts or scratches clean and dry, and watch for signs of infection, such as redness, warmth, or tenderness.
• Your child should not get live vaccines. Talk with the transplant team before your child gets any immunizations.

Diet and Activities:

• Give your child a healthy diet, following any specific recommendations from the transplant team.
• Talk with the transplant team about the right level of exercise for your child and any restrictions on sports or physical activity. Check to see when and where your child can swim, because some types of water are more likely to have bacteria.
• Apply sunscreen whenever your child goes outside. Some medicines used to prevent rejection can make skin more sensitive to the sun.

Your child:

• has a fever
• develops redness, drainage, tenderness, or swelling around the incision
• has diarrhea or vomiting, or feels nauseated
• has chills or aches
• develops itching, a rash, sores, or blisters
• is exposed to an illness like the flu or chickenpox
• has blood pressure readings that are higher or lower than the range the transplant team told you is normal for your child
• is breathing quickly
• has problems with peeing, such as pain, making less pee than usual, peeing more often than usual, or having a feeling of urgency to pee
• feels dizzy or lightheaded
• has swelling of any part of the body
• is crankier or more tired than usual
• is behaving differently
• has new or worse pain
• has trouble taking the transplant medicines or you cannot get them
• develops any other new symptoms or problems

Your child:

• has trouble breathing
• seems confused or distressed, or can't speak clearly
• has a seizure
• looks blue
• appears dehydrated; signs include dizziness, drowsiness, a dry or sticky mouth, sunken eyes, crying with few or no tears, or peeing less often (or having fewer wet diapers)

What should I think about when planning travel? When your family travels:

• Pack enough medicine for the whole trip, plus a few extra doses.
• Keep any medicines that need refrigeration in a cooler with frozen ice packs.
• Do not leave your child's medicines in a hot car.
• Make sure there is a refrigerator in any hotel rooms you stay in.