The effect of intrauterine growth retardation on the development of renal nephrons

Type II intrauterine growth retardation may exert a profound effect on renal development. The reduced nephron number at birth, together with the lack of any early postnatal compensation in either nephron number or nephron size, emphasizes the need for vigorous antenatal surveillance for IUGR and consideration of elective preterm delivery of affected fetuses. A systematic review of other organs, which develop in a similarly rapid fashion during the late intrauterine period, is indicated by this work. With one exception, all birthweights in the growth-retarded groups were below the third centile, thus the precise quantitative relation between progressive IUGR and renal function requires further assessment.