Measurement of Kidney Size in Korean Newborn Infants by Ultrasonography / 대한비뇨기과학회지

ABSTRACT

The kidney size of newborn infant provides an important value in the diagnosis and treatment of the congenital renal diseases. Renal measurements were made by ultrasonography in 500 healthy newborn infants. Two dependent variables( kidney length and depth ) were measured, together with three independent variables( birth weight, height, head circumference, chest circumference and gestational age). The right kidney size was 3.98+/-0.482cm x 1.98+/-0.288cm(mean+/-standard deviation, length x depth), and the left kidney size was 4.02+/-0.504cm x 1.89+/-0.299cm. The left kidney had long length and short depth compared with right kidney. The mean difference of both kidneys was 0.39+/-0.323cm in length and 0.25+/-0.207cm in depth. The kidney size of male infants was larger than that of female infants in length and depth of both kidneys. There was significant difference in kidney length and depth for birth weight and height(P < 0.01 ). The regression equation was: length(cm) = 0.266 x birth weight (kg) + 3.12, depth(cm) =0.144 x birth weight(kg) + 1.46.