Pediatria pre prax 4/2026

Acute kidney injury in neonates

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common and potentially life-threatening complication in high-risk neonates. Its occurrence in neonatal intensive care units is reported to be between 20 % and 40 %, and it is even higher among extremely preterm infants. Recognition of AKI in the neonatal period is challenging due to physiological postnatal changes in renal function, limitations of current diagnostic criteria, and the lack of reliable biomarkers, which may lead to underestimation of this condition. Therapeutic approaches are not standardized and often depend on the experience of individual centers. Early diagnosis, appropriate treatment, and long-term nephrological follow-up are crucial for improving the prognosis of these patients.

Keywords: acute kidney injury, neonates, diagnostic criteria, long-term follow-up