Renal function and blood pressure in 11 year old children born extremely preterm or small for gestational age.

BACKGROUND:Preterm birth and low birth weight are associated with reduced nephron numbers and increased risk of hypertension and kidney disease in later life. AIMS:We tested the hypothesis that extremely preterm birth and intrauterine growth restriction is associated with decreased renal function in mid childhood. METHODS:At 11 years of age the following measures were obtained in a regional cohort of children born extremely premature (EP, i.e. 0.2) and did not differ between the groups. CONCLUSIONS:Children born EP/ELBW, particularly those born SGA, had impaired renal function at age 11 years as judged from estimated GFRs and plasma levels of SDMA. Since reduced renal function is associated with an increased risk of later disease, these children should be followed in order to minimize additional risk factors