The Prevalence of Low Birth Weight in Children with Nephrotic Syndrome

Background: Nephrotic syndrome (NS) is a common disease in children with many consequences for their health, particularly when the disease is severe, accompanied by frequent recurrences, and must be treated with high-dose, long-term corticosteroids. Objectives: We aimed to determine the effect of birth weight on complete response to corticosteroids in children with NS. Methods: Two hundred and ninety-two children with NS aged 1 - 18 years were included in the present cross-sectional study. The children followed up from 2010 to 2021 at Ali-Ibn-e-Abitaleb Hospital, Zahedan, Iran. Data were obtained by reviewing medical records for results and completing a parental self-reported questionnaire for birth-related information. For the analysis, SPSS 23 was applied with P < 0.05 as a significance level. Results: In the steroid-resistant (28.9%) group, low birth weight (LBW) was significantly higher than in the steroid-sensitive (10.5%) group (P = 0.001). A two-way logistic regression report showed that birth weight (P = 0.04, OR = 0.58, 95% CI: 0.34 - 0.99) and number of recurrences (P = 0.001, OR = 4.60, 95% CI: 2.91 - 7.27) were both significantly associated with the development of steroid resistance. Conclusions: In patients with NS, there was a significant association between LBW, higher relapse rates, steroid resistance, and thus poorer patient outcomes.