Early detection of kidney impairment in school-aged children born very preterm: a parallel use of traditional and modern biomarkers.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Prematurity has been linked to kidney dysfunction from infancy through adulthood. Children born very preterm are at particular risk due to interrupted nephrogenesis. However, early detection remains challenging, and a uniform monitoring strategy is lacking.

Methods

This cross-sectional study involved school-aged (6-16 years) children born at ≤ 32 weeks of gestation, with no history of small for gestational age (SGA). They were further stratified by birth weight (BW): low, very low, and extremely low (LBW, VLBW, ELBW) categories. Age- and sex-matched full-term children served as controls. Anthropometry, blood pressure (BP), and kidney function were assessed, using traditional (urea; creatinine, Cr; β2-microglobulin, B2M; albuminuria) and modern biomarkers (cystatin

SUBMITTER: Dokousli V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12727860 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature