Growth of children born to renal transplanted women

• Published in: European journal of pediatrics 2017-09, Vol.176 (9), p.1201-1207
• Main Authors: Dinelli, M. Isabel S., Ono, Erika, Viana, Patrícia O., dos Santos, Amélia M. N., de Moraes-Pinto, M. Isabel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Age; Analysis of Variance; Birth; Birth Weight; Breast Feeding - adverse effects; Breast Feeding - statistics & numerical data; Case-Control Studies; Child; Children; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Gestational age; Humans; Immunosuppressive agents; Immunosuppressive Agents - administration & dosage; Immunosuppressive Agents - adverse effects; Infant; Infant, Low Birth Weight; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Premature - growth & development; Infant, Small for Gestational Age - growth & development; Kidney Transplantation; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Mothers; Neonates; Original Article; Pediatrics; Pregnancy; Premature birth; Premature Birth - epidemiology; Prospective Studies; Risk Factors; Small-for-gestational age; Statistics, Nonparametric; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0340-6199; 1432-1076
• DOI: 10.1007/s00431-017-2965-1

Neonates born to transplanted mothers are exposed to immunosuppressive drugs during gestation and have a higher risk of being born prematurely and small for gestational age than the general population. We have prospectively followed up 27 children born to renal transplanted mothers from a single center and 31 healthy children born at term with adequate weight for gestational age. Comparisons of weight and length measurements were made at birth, 1 month (±0.9), 3 months (±1.0), 6 months (±1.0), 9 months (±1.5), and 12 months (±1.49) of age. There were a high rate of prematurity (51.9%) and neonates small for gestational age (40.7%) in the transplant group. At birth, in the transplant group, 28% of neonates had subnormal z -scores for weight and 40%, low z -scores for length. However, at 6 months of age, no significant differences were noticed in mean weight-for-age z -scores between groups (weight −0.43 vs −0.03; length −0.53 vs −0.08). At 12 months of age, comparable mean length-for-age z -scores were observed in both groups (weight 0.01 vs 0.27; length −0.07 vs 0.26). Conclusion : Despite high rates of premature births and neonates small for gestational age in the transplant group, there was a good recovery of growth during the first year.. What is Known: • Children born to renal transplanted mothers are exposed to immunosuppressive drugs during gestation [ 4 ] . • They have high risk of premature birth and fetal growth restriction, immune alterations at birth, and risk of hospitalization for infection in the first months of life [ 5 ] . What is New: • Despite high rates of premature birth and neonates small for gestational age, these infants had good growth recovery by 1 year of age.