To assess whether nephrocalcinosis severity in premature infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) was associated with haematuria, hypertension, or urinary tract infections (UTIs) by age 2 years.
Approach:
Design and setting: Retrospective, single-centre case–control study at a Canadian tertiary-care neonatal intensive care unit.
Participants: 308 infants born weighing under 1500 g, with BPD, between 2012 and 2018.
Assessment: A radiologist reviewed renal ultrasounds and classified nephrocalcinosis as absent, mild, or moderate/severe. Children were followed for 2 years for renal outcomes.
Key Findings:
Nephrocalcinosis was identified in 205 of 308 infants (66.6%).
Furosemide exposure was more frequent in infants with mild nephrocalcinosis than in those without it (40.2% vs 24.3%; p=0.007).
Gentamicin exposure was more frequent in mild and moderate/severe nephrocalcinosis groups than in the group without nephrocalcinosis.
UTIs were more frequent in the moderate/severe group than in the mild group (36.4% vs 11.2%; p=0.004).
Nephrocalcinosis was not associated with haematuria or hypertension at 2 years.
Interpretation:
The study reports an association between moderate/severe nephrocalcinosis and increased UTI incidence; it found no association with haematuria or hypertension.
Limitations:
The study was retrospective and conducted at a single centre.
The cohort was limited to premature infants weighing under 1500 g who had BPD, limiting generalisability.
Conclusion:
The authors state that infants with nephrocalcinosis should be followed after birth for symptoms of UTI.
