P00.1: Fetus and newborn affected by maternal renal and urinary tract diseases

The urinary organs include organs that form urine or excrete it from the body. Urine flows from both kidneys into the bladder via the ureters. The urethra channels the urine outward from the bladder. There are normally 2 kidneys in the body. They filter blood and create urine. They thus help to detoxify the body. Furthermore, the kidneys regulate the blood pressure and salt content in the blood, among other things.

If there is a disorder in the mother's urinary organs during pregnancy, the child's health can be damaged. The child may not develop normally in the womb. When it is born, the child may be smaller and lighter than most other children. It may also be that a kidney disorder in the mother leads to a premature birth. The child is then born before the end of the 37th week of pregnancy. An inflammation of the mother’s urinary organs due to pathogens can cause premature labor or cause the amniotic sac to burst. This can also lead to a premature birth. In the case of a premature birth, problems can occur with the child's breathing or circulation, for example.