The Babyccino: The Role of Caffeine in the Prevention of Acute Kidney Injury in Neonates-A Literature Review

Acute kidney injury (AKI) in neonates is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Theophylline (a methylxanthine) has been shown to prevent neonatal AKI but is seldom used due to its unfavorable profile. Caffeine, another methylxanthine, is utilized ubiquitously to treat apnea of prematuri...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Healthcare (Basel) 2024-02, Vol.12 (5), p.529
Main Authors: Aithal, Nimisha, Kandasamy, Yogavijayan
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
acute kidney injury (AKI)
Acute renal failure
Analysis
Caffeine
caffeine citrate
Drug dosages
Extubation
Gestational age
Health aspects
Hypoxia
Kidneys
Literature reviews
Morbidity
Mortality
neonate
Neonatology
premature
Premature birth
Prevention
Review
Risk factors
Urine
Ventilators
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Summary:Acute kidney injury (AKI) in neonates is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Theophylline (a methylxanthine) has been shown to prevent neonatal AKI but is seldom used due to its unfavorable profile. Caffeine, another methylxanthine, is utilized ubiquitously to treat apnea of prematurity, but there are no randomized trials evaluating its efficacy in preventing neonatal AKI. This literature review aims to summarize the existing research pertaining to the relationship between caffeine and neonatal AKI. The review was conducted using Pubmed, Embase, Google Scholar, and Cochrane. Inclusion criteria incorporated empirical studies, being published in English, and being available electronically. All eight studies identified were included. Seven studies found caffeine-exposed premature neonates had lower rates of AKI than caffeine-unexposed neonates. Four found reduced AKI severity with caffeine exposure. One study included term neonates and did not find a difference in the AKI rate between caffeine-exposed and non-exposed babies. Limitations include exclusively observational studies, short study periods, heterogenous definitions of prematurity, and a lack of assessment of dose-effect relationships. In conclusion, premature neonates exposed to caffeine appear to have lower rates and potentially less severe AKI. Further research is needed before caffeine can be considered for use in the primary prevention of neonatal AKI.
ISSN:2227-9032
2227-9032
DOI:10.3390/healthcare12050529