A New Approach to Recognize Neonatal Impaired Kidney Function

Previous studies in term newborns with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy showed that the rate of serum creatinine (SCr) decline during the first week of life could be used to identify newborns with impaired kidney function (IKF) who are missed by standard definitions of neonatal acute kidney injury (nAKI).

Retrospective review of the medical records of 329 critically ill newborns ≥27 weeks of gestational age (GA) admitted to a level 4 neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). We tested the hypothesis that the rate of SCr decline combined with SCr thresholds provides a sensitive approach to identify term and preterm newborns with IKF during the first week of life.

Excluding neonates with nAKI, an SCr decline <31% by the seventh day of life, combined with an SCr threshold ≥0.7 mg/dl, recognized newborns of 40 to 31 weeks of GA with IKF. An SCr decline <21% combined with an SCr threshold ≥0.8 mg/dl identified newborns of 30 to 27 weeks of GA with IKF. Neonates with IKF (∼17%), like those with nAKI (7%), showed a more prolonged hospital stay and required more days of mechanical ventilation, vasoactive drugs, and diuretics, when compared with the controls. Changes in urine output did not distinguish newborns with IKF.

The rate of SCr decline combined with SCr thresholds identifies newborns with IKF during the first week of life. This distinctive group of newborns that is missed by standard definitions of nAKI, warrants close monitoring in the NICU to prevent further renal complications.