Paediatric nephrologist in Latviawhere to get treatment, how to verify certification, what this doctor does
- Certification check: State register of medical practitioners
- Certificates are issued by the Certification Council of the Latvian Medical Association
- Noticed outdated info? Report it
A paediatric nephrologist deals with abnormal urine test results, swelling and kidney problems present from birth in children. The doctor talks parents through the further tests needed.
The consultation happens over video, so it works the same in Riga, Daugavpils, Liepaja, Jelgava, Jurmala, Ventspils and Rezekne.
No verified doctor in this area yet
We check every certificate by hand, so the list grows step by step. Choose another area or start with a family doctor.
Other Paediatric nephrologist doctors in Latvia
These doctors have not confirmed their profile yet, so they cannot be booked for now.
- Ilze Andersone
- Sandra Derkevica
Known paediatric nephrologists in Latvia
No names are listed for this specialty yet
We are adding them gradually. Doctors you can book are shown at the top of this page.
When to call 113 instead of booking
- A child who has not passed urine for 8 to 12 hours, or is passing very little.
- Rapidly worsening swelling of the face, eyelids and legs, especially in the morning.
- Back or flank pain with high fever, chills and vomiting.
- Visible blood in the urine.
- A child who is floppy, drowsy or confused, where infection does not explain it.
- Seizures in a child with known kidney disease.
- Breathlessness, or rapid weight gain combined with swelling.
- A baby refusing feeds and markedly unsettled with fever and no clear cause.
What a paediatric nephrologist treats
A paediatric nephrologist treats kidney and urinary tract disease in children. They assess the risk of kidney damage, interpret laboratory, histology and imaging results, perform the procedures uro-nephrology patients need, and select the appropriate form of renal replacement therapy where kidney function is impaired.
- Recurrent urinary tract infections
- Protein or blood in the urine
- Congenital anomalies of the kidneys and urinary tract
- Glomerulonephritis and nephrotic syndrome
- Chronic kidney disease in children
- High blood pressure in a child
A family doctor or paediatrician is enough for a single urinary tract infection that responds well to treatment. A paediatric nephrologist is needed when infections recur, when urine tests stay abnormal, when creatinine rises, or when ultrasound shows anomalies of kidney development.
Subtypes
Paediatric nephrology in Latvia has no separate sub-specialties. In practice the work divides between outpatient follow-up, inpatient treatment and renal replacement therapy, with paediatric urologists and surgeons working closely alongside.
Glossary
- Urinalysis
- the basic test showing protein, blood, white cells and bacteria in the urine.
- Creatinine and eGFR
- blood markers showing how well the kidneys filter.
- Nephrotic syndrome
- heavy protein loss in the urine with swelling and low blood protein levels.
- Vesicoureteral reflux
- urine flowing back from the bladder towards the kidneys, which drives recurrent infection.
- Kidney biopsy
- taking a small sample of kidney tissue, whose histology slides the nephrologist reads.
- Peritoneal dialysis
- dialysis using the abdominal lining. At the Children's Hospital it is delivered in automated mode.
- Haemodialysis
- machine-based blood cleaning delivered in hospital several times a week.
- Renal replacement therapy
- the umbrella term for dialysis and kidney transplantation.
How someone becomes a paediatric nephrologist in Latvia
- Six years of medical study and a doctor's degree, at RSU or the University of Latvia.
- Entry to the paediatric nephrology programme requires a copy of a valid paediatrician certificate, or university confirmation of third-year residency in the base specialty "Pediatrs". For doctors without the paediatrics specialty the programme runs six years.
- Residency in paediatric nephrology. The RSU programme runs 3 years, 198 ECTS, tuition 5,800 EUR per year, with 1 state-funded place in the intake, led by Sandra Derkevica. Programme page: RSU residency programme.
- Practical training runs through rotations and duty shifts, covering the required diagnostic and therapeutic procedures and renal replacement therapy techniques.
- The resident must learn to read kidney histology slides and interpret the results.
- The state examination covers theory plus defence of a research project.
- The certificate is valid for 5 years. Recertification requires 250 continuing education points, at least 60 per cent tied to the base specialty, plus a 48.38 EUR fee.
- Entry in the practitioners register must be renewed every 5 years.
How to verify this doctor's certificate
- 1Open registri.vi.gov.lv/rap.
- 2Enter the surname or practitioner identifier in the search box.
- 3Confirm the listed specialty reads "Bērnu nefrologs", not just "Nefrologs" or "Pediatrs". Many of these doctors also hold paediatrics in the register.
- 4Check the certificate validity date. A permit or an adaptation period is not a certificate.
- 5If anything is unclear, see the register explanation page.
Where this specialist practises, by city
Rīga
- Clinic of Children's Diseases at the Children's Clinical University Hospital
The clinic follows children with chronic kidney disease and, where needed, uses renal replacement therapy: automated peritoneal dialysis and chronic haemodialysis. In acute kidney failure, acute automated peritoneal dialysis is used. Children with chronic kidney disease are prepared in good time for kidney transplantation at Pauls Stradiņš Clinical University Hospital.
- Nephrology Centre at Pauls Stradiņš Clinical University Hospital
where kidney transplantation and pre-transplant patient selection take place.
There are no separate paediatric nephrology units outside Rīga. In the regions a child is seen first by the family doctor or paediatrician and then referred to Rīga.
Choosing between doctors
- In practice the choice is narrow. Most paediatric nephrology care in Latvia sits in one institution, so a timely referral matters more than picking a doctor.
- Languages. Consultations run in Latvian and Russian, with some doctors also working in English. Confirm when booking.
- Continuity. In chronic kidney disease there is real value in staying with one doctor who knows the trend in the child's results over years.
- Transition to adult care. Around age 18 care moves to an adult nephrologist, and that handover is worth planning in advance.
- Second opinion. A child's legal representative may freely choose the doctor and institution.
What a visit looks like
- Bring all earlier urine and blood results: in paediatric nephrology the trend matters more than a single measurement.
- Earlier ultrasound reports and discharge summaries from urinary tract infections are useful.
- Bring home blood pressure readings if any were taken, and a full list of medicines.
- At the visit the doctor assesses growth, swelling and blood pressure, reviews the results, and orders ultrasound, further tests or a kidney biopsy as needed.
- In chronic kidney disease the doctor sets up regular monitoring and, where necessary, discusses renal replacement therapy options.
Cost
Children under 18 are among the groups exempt from patient co-payments, so a state-funded paediatric nephrology consultation on referral costs the family nothing. That also covers state-funded ultrasound and day hospital treatment, for which adults would pay 4.00 EUR and 7.00 EUR per day respectively. Renal replacement therapy for children takes place in hospital and is funded from the state budget.
- Patient co-payment for a child under 18Price EUR: 0.00Source: NVD
- State-funded consultation on referralPrice EUR: 0.00Source: NVD, exemption for children under 18
- Renal replacement therapy for a child in hospitalPrice EUR: 0.00Source: BKUS, NVD exemption
There is effectively no private market for paediatric nephrology in Latvia: private clinic price lists do not itemise the specialty.
Professional association and oversight
No dedicated paediatric nephrology association appears in the our records. The field is represented by the Latvian Association of Nephrologists, registration number 40008004227, founded on 23 February 1992, whose aim is to develop the treatment of kidney disease and renal replacement therapy in Latvia.
Certificates are issued by the Certification Council of the Latvian Medical Association, founded in 1988. The sector regulator is the Health Inspectorate.
Patient rights and complaints
If you have doubts about the care a child received, raise them first with the institution's management, which must operate a complaints and suggestions system. If that does not resolve it, the child's legal representative may submit a written complaint to the Health Inspectorate no later than two years after the alleged infringement. It is reviewed within 30 days, extendable to four months in complex cases. The procedure is set out on the Health Inspectorate site.
FAQ
Do I need a referral to see a paediatric nephrologist?
Yes, for a state-funded consultation. At the Children's Hospital a child with unclear symptoms is seen first by a paediatrician, who refers on after initial tests.
What does a visit cost?
There is no co-payment in the public system for children under 18.
How do I confirm a doctor is certified?
Enter the surname in the practitioners register and check that the paediatric nephrology specialty is listed and the certificate is valid.
How does a paediatric nephrologist differ from a paediatric urologist?
A paediatric nephrologist treats kidney function problems with medicines and dialysis. A paediatric urologist handles surgical problems of the urinary tract, such as correcting developmental anomalies.
How often is certification renewed?
Every 5 years, on 250 continuing education points.
This page was reviewed by Sergejs Ponomarjovs, from the E-Medicīna team. More about us.
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Last reviewed: 8 August 2026
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