Low birth weight linked to poor growth rate in kids with kidney disease

Washington, Oct 29 (ANI): A new study has shown that the lower the birth weight, the greater are the chances of poor growth rate in children with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

In the general population, low birth weight is not an important cause of poor growth and short stature.

To determine whether low birth weight is a risk factor for poor growth in children with CKD, Larry Greenbaum, (Emory University and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA) and his colleagues analyzed results from the Chronic Kidney Disease in Children Prospective Cohort (CKiD) study. Study participants included 426 out of the 586 children enrolled in the CKID study, all of whom had mild to moderate CKD and were in 48 pediatric nephrology centers across North America.

"This is the first study showing an association between low birth weight and poor growth in children with CKD," explains Greenbaum.

"The study also demonstrates that children with CKD are more likely to be born with low birth weight than the general population. This occurs in children who are born with kidney disease and those who acquire kidney disease during childhood. It is possible that low birth weight is a risk factor for the development of kidney disease during childhood," Greenbaum added. (ANI)