Correlations between maternal illnesses and congenital malformations of the kidney and urinary system in offspring: A cohort study

It is becoming increasingly evident that congenital abnormalities of the kidneys and urinary tract (CAKUT) represent significant public health concerns. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between maternal diseases and the occurrence of CAKUT in offspring. This retrospective study covered pregnant women in Hainan between 2021 and 2023. In newborns with and without CAKUT, medical data on maternal chronic diseases, such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperthyroidism, and hypothyroidism, were gathered. Psychiatric illnesses, syphilis, cholestasis, and uterine fibroids were examined. Among the 11,572 pregnant women in the study group, 123 cases of CAKUT were discovered in their children. A strong association between maternal chronic illnesses, particularly gestational diabetes and chronic hypertension, and CAKUT in children was found by the data. Compared to the fetuses of young women, the fetuses of older mothers were more prone to prenatal CAKUT. Advanced maternal age and maternal chronic illnesses are associated with CAKUT in offspring and should be treated to improve outcomes.