Hypercalciuria in ex-preterm children, aged 7-8 years.

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Nephrology
• Bone Metabolism

Background:

• Previous studies indicated elevated urinary calcium in ex-preterm infants.
• This study aimed to confirm findings and explore the link between calcium excretion and bone mineralization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To confirm increased urinary calcium excretion in ex-preterm children.
• To determine if elevated urinary calcium is associated with reduced bone mineral density (BMD).
• To investigate the relationship between neonatal aminoglycoside levels and urinary calcium excretion.

Main Methods:

• Recruited 46 ex-preterm children (7-9 years) and 40 controls.
• Collected 3 separate 24-hour urine samples for calcium analysis.
• Utilized dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) to measure bone mineral content and BMD.

Main Results:

• Ex-preterm children showed significantly higher 24-hour urinary calcium than controls (P=0.01).
• Increased calcium excretion correlated with higher neonatal aminoglycoside levels (P=0.0013).
• Preterm children with hypercalciuria had lower height and hip BMD compared to controls (P=0.04, P=0.004).

Conclusions:

• Preterm children exhibit higher urinary calcium excretion and are shorter with lower hip BMD.
• Hypercalciuria in preterm children is linked to neonatal aminoglycoside exposure and impaired bone mineralization.
• Further research is needed to assess the long-term risks of impaired bone mineralization in preterm individuals.