Kidney disorders can develop before a child is born. Two new fact sheets from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) help explain two of these disorders: kidney dysplasia and medullary sponge kidney.
 
Kidney dysplasia, which occurs during fetal development, is a condition in which the internal structures of one or both of the baby's kidneys fail to develop normally. Dysplasia usually occurs in only one kidney. Babies with just one working kidney can grow and develop normally with few health problems. However, fetuses with dysplasia in both kidneys may not survive pregnancy and, if they do, they will need dialysis or a kidney transplant early in life.

Medullary sponge kidney (MSK) is a birth defect in which cysts form in the inner part of the kidney, or medulla. This prevents urine from flowing freely through the kidney's inner tubules. While many people with MSK have no symptoms, problems such as blood in the urine, kidney stones and urinary tract infections could develop. Problems usually occur much later in life, around ages 30 to 40. MSK rarely leads to more serious problems, such as total kidney failure.

To order these fact sheets, please visit NIDDK's Web site and click on the Order Publications tab or call (800) 891-5390.

This article originally appeared in the June 2009 issue of Kidney Beginnings: The Electronic Newsletter.