The symptoms of the different types of nephrotic syndrome are the same and include:

• protein in your child’s urine (proteinuria) – this is likely to only be seen under a microscope or when tested by dipping a specially treated paper strip into your child’s urine (urine dipstick). However, if there is a lot of protein, their urine may look frothy.
• swelling or puffiness (oedema) – especially around your child’s eyes and ankles. Swelling around the eyes tends to be worse first thing in the morning and improve as the day goes on whereas ankle swelling is usually worse in the evenings. The swelling is soft and puffy and leaves a dent if you press on it. It does not cause any pain. It is not an allergic reaction but is caused by the kidneys retaining too much water.
• low protein levels in the blood
• increased tiredness
• breathlessness
• a feeling of or being sick
• diarrhoea
• increased risk of infection
• anaemia (a shortage of red blood cells in the body)
• low or high blood pressure

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