title: Renal echo-3D and microalbuminuria in children of diabetic mothers: a preliminary study.
abstract: Maternal diabetes has assumed epidemic relevance in recent years and animal studies have provided some evidence that it may cause abnormalities in renal development and a reduction in nephron endowment in the offspring; however, human data are lacking. The renal cortex contains ∼95% of the glomeruli and its volume could be taken as a surrogate measure of glomerular number; based on this assumption, we measured renal cortex volume and in addition, microalbuminuria in a homogeneous sample of 42 children of diabetic (pregestational, n = 13, and gestational, n = 29) mothers, compared with 21 healthy children born of non-diabetic mothers. The offspring of diabetic mothers showed a significant reduction of renal cortex volume and higher albumin excretion compared with controls, possibly attributable to a reduction in the number of nephrons and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.001). Although further studies on a larger sample are necessary, our preliminary findings suggest that maternal diabetes may affect renal development with sequelae later in life, requiring closer monitoring and follow-up. Furthermore, the importance of strict maternal diabetes management and control must be emphasized.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Neonatology, University Hospital of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cappuccini
authors.affiliation: 2 MISEM, University Hospital of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Torlone
authors.affiliation: 3 Clinical Pathology, University Hospital of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ferri
authors.affiliation: 2 MISEM, University Hospital of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arnone
authors.affiliation: 4 Pediatric Cardiology, University Hospital of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Troiani
authors.affiliation: 2 MISEM, University Hospital of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bini
authors.affiliation: 5 Department of Nephrology, MVT Hospital, Todi (PG), Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bellomo
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Neonatology, University Hospital of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Barboni
authors.affiliation: 6 Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology and Centre of Perinatal, Santa Maria della Misericordia Hospital, University Hospital of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Di Renzo