Prenatal causes of kidney diseases

  • Nadezda Koleganova Institute of Pathology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
  • Grzegorz Piecha Department of Nephrology, Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland
  • Natalia Slabiak-Blaz Department of Nephrology, Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland
  • Eberhard Ritz Department of Internal Medicine, Nephrology Division, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21804/15-1-749

Abstract

Deleterious environmental factors during pregnancy influence fetal development and increase therisk of cardiovascular and kidney disease in adult offspring. Undernutrition, protein restriction,excess salt, corticosteroids, or placental insufficiency disturb kidney development, causing a lowernumber of nephrons (referred to as nephron underdosing). This in turn leads to hypertension andaccelerated loss of kidney function in the adult life of the offspring. The nephron underdosingcan be observed with or without intrauterine growth restriction. A lower number of nephrons havebeen confirmed in humans with hypertension.
Published
2012-12-01
How to Cite
Koleganova, Nadezda, Grzegorz Piecha, Natalia Slabiak-Blaz, and Eberhard Ritz. 2012. “Prenatal Causes of Kidney Diseases”. African Journal of Nephrology 15 (1), 9-17. https://doi.org/10.21804/15-1-749.
Issue
Vol. 15 No. 1 (2012)
Section
Reviews