Does extreme prematurity affect kidney volume at term corrected age?
OBJECTIVE
Extreme prematurity exposes the neonate to a number of potential renal insults that may result in a reduced number of glomeruli and/or renal size. This may predispose these individuals to cardiovascular disease later in life. The objective was to determine using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) whether extreme prematurity results in decreased renal volume.


METHODS
Neonates <29 weeks' gestation and term infants undergoing MRI of the brain were enrolled in the study. An MRI was performed at term corrected age in the premature neonate and within the first 4 weeks of life in the term neonate.


RESULTS
Seventeen preterm infants and 13 term infants had MRIs performed. There was no significant difference in weight and length at the time of MRI (p = 0.76 and 0.11, respectively). There was no significant difference in total renal volume or total kidney volume to weight ratio between the preterm and term neonates (p = 0.83 and 0.6, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
At term corrected age, extremely premature neonates have the same renal volume as term infants. It is unclear whether renal volume is a good indicator of glomerular number.
Kent
Alison L
AL
Department of Neonatology, The Canberra Hospital, Canberra, ACT, Australia. alison.kent@act.gov.au
Jyoti
Rajeev
R
Robertson
Cameron
C
Gonsalves
Lisa
L
Meskell
Sandra
S
Shadbolt
Bruce
B
Falk
Michael C
MC
D002317:Cardiovascular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007213:Indomethacin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D052577:Infant, Extremely Low Birth Weight / Q000254:growth & development*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007232:Infant, Newborn, Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000254:growth & development*; D007668:Kidney / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000254:growth & development*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D011859:Radiography
D002317:Cardiovascular Agents; D007213:Indomethacin