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Protein intake in infancy and kidney size and function at the age of 6 years: The Generation R Study

Trudy Voortman1, Hanneke Bakker, Sanaz Sedaghat

  • 1The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, trudy.voortman@erasmusmc.nl.

Pediatric Nephrology (Berlin, Germany)
|May 10, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Early childhood protein intake does not independently affect kidney size or function by age 6. Further research is needed to identify other early life factors influencing long-term kidney health.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Nephrology
  • Nutritional Science
  • Developmental Pediatrics

Background:

  • High protein intake is associated with kidney growth and function.
  • The relationship between protein intake and kidney outcomes in healthy children remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between infant protein intake and kidney outcomes at age 6.
  • To determine if early life protein consumption impacts kidney size, function, or albuminuria in children.

Main Methods:

  • A population-based cohort study of 2968 children.
  • Protein intake assessed at 1 year via food-frequency questionnaire, adjusted for energy.
  • Kidney volume, urinary albumin/creatinine ratio (ACR), and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) measured at age 6.

Main Results:

  • Initially, higher protein intake correlated with lower ACR and higher eGFR.
  • These associations disappeared after adjusting for dietary and lifestyle factors (sodium, diet quality, TV watching).
  • No consistent association was found between protein intake and kidney volume; no differences between animal and vegetable protein.

Conclusions:

  • Infant protein intake is not independently linked to kidney size or function at age 6.
  • Other early-life factors may be more critical predictors of later kidney health.
  • Further research is warranted to explore these alternative predictors.
Abstract

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