Israeli researchers: Premature birth may cause lifelong kidney damage
Researchers from Hadassah-University Medical Center and Monash University have identified the cellular mechanism linking premature birth to lifelong kidney damage. The study suggests a specific therapeutic window for intervention to protect kidney development in preemies.
Why it matters
Provides critical medical insights that could lead to new preventative treatments for millions of children born prematurely.
Imagine starting life with a permanent biological deficit that you won't discover until decades later. For the 15 million babies (one in 10 births) born each year prematurely, this is the hidden reality of kidney health. Until now, scientists knew that early arrival doubled the lifetime risk of chronic kidney disease, but the underlying biological culprit remained a mystery.Prematurity is defined as a live birth before 37 weeks of pregnancy. Thanks to improvements in treatment and research in this field, the rate of live premature births has increased dramatically within the past decades.
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