Like other vital organs, kidneys develop early during pregnancy. They can be visualized using ultrasound by the 14th to 16th week. According to the Cornell Department of Pediatric Urology, "the internal architecture of the kidneys" can be evaluated by the 20th week. The incidence of kidney abnormalities is about 0.2 percent. Some of these are very serious and require follow-up after birth.
Autosomal Recessive PKD
PKD stands for polycystic kidney disease. The kidneys of patients with PKD become so riddled with cysts that renal failure results. One variant of this disease called autosomal recessive PKD is diagnosed before birth through ultrasound imaging. According to the National Institutes of Health, children with autosomal recessive PKD often develop renal failure before reaching adulthood. In extreme cases, death occurs shortly after birth because of respiratory issues.
Hydronephrosis
Hydronephrosis involves an obstruction in the ureters or urethral valves that blocks the flow of urine. It's defined based on where the obstruction occurs. According to the Department of Pediatric Urology at Cornell University, hydronephrosis is called ureteropelvic junction obstruction or UPJ if there is a stricture in the ureter as it leaves the kidney. If the obstruction is along the renal pelvis, the diagnosis is referred to as vesicoureteral reflux.
Positive outcomes are very common if the obstruction involves a single kidney. However, if the obstruction involves both kidneys, renal failure at a young age may result.
Renal Displasia
An article in a 2004 Journal of American Society of Nephrology explains that renal dysplasia is the principal cause of renal failure in children. The kidneys begin to form but fail to differentiate properly into nephrons and collecting tubules. In many instances, there is evidence of cystic disease as well. Many of these children receive kidney transplants at a young age. Like other kidney diseases that arise through pre-natal developmental errors, this can be visualized using ultrasound.
References
- University of San Francisco Children's Hospital: Renal Disorders in the Newborn
- Cornell University Department of Urology: Prenatal hydronephrosis
- University of California San Francisco: Urinary Tract Obstruction
- National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases: Polycystic Kidney Disease
- Journal of the American Society of Nephrology: Evolving Concepts in Human Renal Dysplasia
