Professor Richard White, world authority on kidney disease in children – obituary
He carried out the first paediatric biopsy in Europe in 1959 and helped to transform renal treatment for young people
Richard White: he was noted for his carefulness and attention to detail
Professor Richard White, who has died aged 94, was a paediatrician who improved the care of children with kidney disease.
In the 1950s he became interested in diseases of the kidney in children. These often manifest as nephrotic syndrome, in which the kidneys leak protein, resulting in low blood levels of albumen; there is severe whole-body swelling due to fluid retention. Though this was first described as Bright’s Disease in 1820 there was still a dearth of information to accurately diagnose it.