Abstract Ultrafiltration of plasma across permselective glomerular capillaries and urine formation start around the 10th week of gestation and increase throughout prenatal and postnatal life. The rapid development of glomerular…
Abstract In utero the placenta plays a primary role in the regulation of fetal fluid and electrolyte homeostasis. Following birth, the newborn is entirely dependent upon the birth mother or…
Abstract The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) plays a critical role in the maintenance of salt and water homeostasis by the kidneys. However, the inappropriate activation of this system results in abnormal…
Abstract Before birth, the ability of the organism to conserve salt and water is not critical as the placenta controls fluid balance in the fetus. The event of birth prompts…
Abstract Renal dysplasia is a leading cause of chronic kidney disease and end stage kidney disease in children. Understanding the molecular pathogenesis of renal maldevelopment began in the 1950s with…
Abstract Epidemiologic studies have shown that small-for-gestational-age infants are at risk for hypertension, cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, and premature death. This may result from intrauterine epigenetic adaptations that are…
Abstract The transition from a growing fetus to a newborn infant requires many changes in fluid and electrolyte homeostasis. During gestation, the placenta controls this balance, but once the fetus…
Abstract Disturbances in mineral homeostasis, common in newborns, may be caused by altered responses to normal physiologic transition from the intrauterine environment to neonatal independence. Mineral disturbances in newborns, either…
Abstract This chapter addresses the physiology and regulation of fetal and neonatal acid-base balance at the cellular and organ system levels, with attention to the clinical relevance of the complex…
Abstract Potassium levels in the blood are tightly regulated. Deviations from this normal range can be life-threatening, and treatment should be based on an understanding of the underlying physiology and…
