Low birth weight and polycystic kidney disease.

Getting the Post Birth Weight (Photo credit: UhDuh)

Orskov and colleagues in a large danish autosomal polycystic kidney disease cohort believe that they have demonstrated what they think is a direct effect of birth weight on outcomes in polycystic kidney disease. In the previously mentioned study each kilogram of birth weight extended the mean age of ESRD onset by 1.7 years.

It is believed that this mechanism may be due to any or all of the following.

• Placental insufficiency.
• Activation of the Renin Angiotensin Aldosterone System.
• Increased Fetal Vasopressin levels. 
• Increased Insulin like growth factor levels. 
• A reduction in total nephron number. 

It had been proposed many years earlier that what happens in utero to the developing child directly influences the adult, giving rise to a variety of adult chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome. 

ID#: 861 Description: Gross pathology of polycystic kidneys. Gross pathology of polycystic kidneys. Ureters are visible. Content Providers(s): CDC/Dr. Edwin P. Ewing, Jr. Creation Date: 1972 Copyright Restrictions: None - This image is in the public domain and thus free of any copyright restrictions. As a matter of courtesy we request that the content provider be credited and notified in any public or private usage of this image. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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