Pregnancy issues may affect child's kidney health as adult

Problems during pregnancy can affect a child's kidney health as an adult, researchers from Monash University in collaboration with Tokyo Jikei University School of Medicine have found. The findings are published in the journal Kidney International.

The experts analyzed 50 kidneys from adult donors, and carefully studied a key mechanism of kidney filtration involving nephrons and podocytes. Podocytes, also known as visceral epithelial cells, are filters in the kidneys that allow small molecules (salts, water and sugars) through and keep out large ones, such as proteins. It is believed that the more podocytes, the healthier the kidneys.

Scientists have noticed that kidneys with more glomeruli (nephrons) contain more podocytes, as well as their concentration in the kidneys as a whole. It turned out that some people have only 200,000 glomeruli, while others may have more than two million. Consequently, some people are initially born with double protection against kidney disease, and some are born with an increased risk.

The number of laid down glomeruli in the body is formed during intrauterine development and ends by 36 weeks of pregnancy. Therefore, poor maternal nutrition, exposure to alcohol, vitamin deficiencies, gestational diabetes, and other health problems of a pregnant woman can affect the baby's kidneys in the future. Also, premature and low birth weight babies usually have fewer nephrons, which increases the likelihood of chronic kidney disease and hypertension.

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