A premature infant has immature kidneys with impaired renal function. Wilkins reported equations for the glomerular filtration rate in very low birthweight infants. The author is from Bristol University and Southmead Hospital in Bristol.
Patient selection: very low birthweight infants from 26 to 36 weeks of age
Week Gestation
GFR Geometrical Mean
95% Confindence Interval
26 weeks
0.59 mL per min
0.40 to 0.90
33 weeks
1.40 mL per min
0.90 to 2.10
LOG10(mean GFR) =
= (0.0534 * (postconception age in weeks)) – 1.615
LOG10(GFR at upper 95%th limit) =
= (0.0535 * (postconception age in weeks)) – 1.4316
LOG10(GFR at lower 95%th limit) =
= (0.0535 * (postconception age in weeks)) – 1.7984
GFR can be expressed in mL per min per kg, but in a premature infant there can be significant changes in body weight.
mean GFR in mL per min per kg =
= (0.0205 * (postconception age in weeks)) + 0.167
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