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Ultrasound-based renal growth curves in Chinese children aged 0-14 years
Baohuan Cai1,2,3, Wei Zhang4, Huiming Yi4
1Department of Pediatrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College Huazhong University of Science and Technology Wuhan China.
Insights
This study established kidney growth curves for Chinese children (0-14 years) using ultrasound. Kidney size strongly correlates with height, crucial for monitoring pediatric renal development.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Urology
- Radiology
- Growth and Development
Background:
- Kidney dimensions are vital for assessing pediatric urological conditions.
- Establishing normative growth data is essential for accurate monitoring.
Purpose of the Study:
- To create normative renal growth curves for Chinese children aged 0-14 years.
- To analyze the impact of age, height, and sex on kidney dimensions.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study of 6033 healthy children (0-14 years).
- Standardized renal ultrasonography for kidney length and width measurements.
- Percentile-based reference ranges (P3-P97) stratified by height; regression analysis used.
Main Results:
- The left kidney was consistently larger than the right (P < 0.01).
- Kidney length correlated positively with age and height (P < 0.01).
- Height showed a stronger association with kidney length (R²=0.884) than age (R²=0.353/0.709), especially in infants.
Conclusions:
- Provides comprehensive reference data for renal development in Chinese children.
- Highlights age-related patterns and the significant influence of height on kidney growth.
- Ultrasound is a reliable, non-invasive tool for monitoring renal growth and detecting abnormalities.
Importance:
Kidney dimensions are critical in pediatric urology for assessing and monitoring various conditions.
Objective:
This study aimed to establish normative renal growth curves for Chinese children aged 0-14 years using ultrasound imaging and to examine the influence of age, height, and sex on kidney dimensions.
Methods:
In this cross-sectional study, we enrolled 6033 healthy children (aged 0-14 years) at our tertiary care center between June 2016 and July 2023. Standardized renal ultrasonography was performed by certified sonographers to obtain precise measurements of kidney length and width. We established comprehensive percentile-based reference ranges (P3-P97) stratified by height. Regression analysis was used to evaluate developmental patterns, with particular attention to height-related growth trajectories.
Results:
The left kidney was consistently larger than the right in both length and width across all ages and sexes (P < 0.01). Although kidney lengths were slightly greater in males than in females, this difference was not statistically significant. Kidney length showed strong positive correlations with both age (P < 0.01) and height (P < 0.01). Notably, the association with height was significantly stronger than that with age (R 2 = 0.884 vs. R 2 = 0.353/0.709), particularly in children under 1 year of age.
Interpretation:
This study provides comprehensive reference data for renal development in Chinese children aged 0-14 years, highlighting age-related patterns and strong positive associations with height. Ultrasound proves to be a reliable and non-invasive tool for monitoring renal growth and detecting abnormalities.
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