Kidney Function Abnormalities in Hospitalized Children with COVID-19: A Cross-Sectional Study from a Tertiary Center in Iran | ||
| Journal of Integrated Maternal and Pediatric Care | ||
| Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 19 September 2026 | ||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||
| Authors | ||
| Ahmad Shajari1; Atefe Zareahmadabadi* 1; Mehran Karimi2 | ||
| 1Department of Medical Sciences, Ali-Ebne-Abitaleb School of Medicine, Islamic Azad University, Yazd, Iran | ||
| 2Children Growth Disorder Research Center, Comprehensive Research Institute for Maternal and Child Health, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran | ||
| Abstract | ||
| Background: Although COVID-19 is primarily considered a respiratory infection, accumulating evidence indicates that the kidneys may also be vulnerable to injury, particularly in pediatric patients. Renal dysfunction in children with COVID-19 is often overlooked but may carry important long-term consequences. This study aimed to evaluate kidney function abnormalities in hospitalized children with confirmed COVID-19. Methods: In this retrospective cross-sectional study, 191 children with confirmed COVID-19 admitted to Shahid Sadoughi Hospital, Yazd, Iran, were evaluated. Key renal function indicators, including serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and urinalysis findings, were extracted and compared across age groups and disease severity categories. Results: Abnormal serum creatinine was observed in 13.1% (25/191) of children, with significantly higher prevalence among children aged ≤3 years (26.1%, 24/92, p < 0.001). Among the 111 patients with documented disease severity, abnormal creatinine was more common in non-severe cases (25.3%, 24/95) than in severe/critical cases (6.3%, 1/16), although this difference did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.092). Conclusion: Renal abnormalities are common in hospitalized children with COVID-19, even in non-severe cases. These findings highlight the importance of routine kidney function assessment in pediatric COVID-19 patients to enable early detection and appropriate management, potentially preventing long-term renal sequelae. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| COVID-19; Pediatrics; Blood Urea Nitrogen; Urinalysis; Acute Kidney Injury | ||
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