Neonates Born to Mothers With Kidney Disease at Increased Risk of Congenital Malformations: Study

A new study published in the journal of Communications Medicine showed that infants born to mothers with renal disease are more likely to suffer congenital abnormalities when compared to newborns born to healthy moms.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the mother is linked to a higher chance of unfavorable pregnancy outcomes. Through decreased renal function, metabolic imbalance, and systemic inflammation, chronic kidney disease like glomerular diseases, diabetic nephropathy, and hypertensive nephropathy might change maternal physiology. These modifications may impair nutrition exchange and placental perfusion, raising the possibility of congenital birth defects.

Abnormal embryogenesis may also be exacerbated by maternal hypertension, uremic toxins, and exposure to teratogenic drugs. Uncertainty surrounds the overall risk of congenital malformations (CMs) in children whose mothers have kidney illness, particularly end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) and CKD.

To minimize avoidable negative outcomes and promote healthy newborn development, it is crucial to comprehend the relationship between maternal renal illness and congenital abnormalities in order to optimize prenatal care, direct risk stratification, and enhance maternal–fetal management. Therefore, this study assessed the relation between maternal kidney disorder and congenital anomalies.

This research examined National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) data from 2,680,092 women who gave birth between 2008 and 2017 as part of this countrywide cohort research. During the first 12 months following delivery, major CMs were detected using the International Classification of Diseases-10 (ICD-10) designations. The risk of CMs was compared between healthy controls and women with CKD or ESKD, including those on dialysis and those who had undergone kidney transplantation (KT), using a multivariable generalized estimating equation model.

Congenital heart defects are the most prevalent abnormality in all categories, with major CMs frequency being 4.79% in children of healthy mothers, 5.29% in women with CKD, and 9.65% in mothers with ESKD. The incidence of major CMs is greater for women with renal illnesses than with healthy controls after adjustment (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.07; 95% CI], 1.03–1.11 in CKD; aOR, 1.71; 95% CI, 1.16–2.52 in ESKD, respectively).

Dialysis patients do not achieve statistical significance (aOR, 2.02; 95% CI, 0.92–4.41), although KT recipients exhibit an elevated risk among ESKD patients (aOR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.06–2.59). Overall, neonates born to moms with renal illness have a higher risk of CMs than those born to healthy mothers. 

Source:

Han, S. H., Kim, Z., Jeong, S., Kim, S., Song, J., Lee, J., Park, S., Lim, M. H., Park, J. S., Yoon, H.-J., Lee, S. M., & Lee, H. (2026). Risk of congenital malformation in newborns from mothers with kidney diseases in a nationwide cohort study. Communications Medicine, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43856-026-01397-w