Research Article

Incidence, Risk Factors, and Outcome of AKI in Preterm Neonates Admitted to the NICU

Rafia Gul, Lubna Asghar, Samer Fatima, Muhammad Usman, Furqan Saleem, Irshad Hussain, Sidra Hamayoon

Annals of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences · Vol. 21, No. 4 · Published December 21, 2025 · DOI: 10.48036/apims.v21i4.1557

ORCID iD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0605-7089 View All Publications by Dr. Rafia Gul

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In Brief

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a sudden drop in kidney function. It is common in premature babies in intensive care, but its causes and effects are still being studied. This study followed 432 preterm babies to see how often AKI happened, what raised the risk, and how the babies did.

Key Points

A prospective cohort study of 432 preterm neonates born at 28 to 36 weeks, in the newborn intensive care units of Fatima Memorial Hospital, Lahore, from April to October 2024.
About 41% of the babies (178 of 432) developed acute kidney injury, graded with modified KDIGO criteria. Most cases were stage 1 or stage 2.
Maternal anemia, hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus (hsPDA) and mechanical ventilation were independent risk factors, while antenatal steroid exposure appeared protective.
Mortality was 16.3% in babies with acute kidney injury and rose to 30% in those with stage 3 injury.

Acute Kidney Injury (AKI)hsPDAKDIGO Maternal AnemiaMechanical VentilationPrematurity

About Dr. Rafia Gul

Dr. Rafia Gul is a neonatologist and pediatrician in Lahore, Pakistan, and an Associate Professor and Consultant in Neonatology and Pediatrics at Fatima Memorial Hospital. She cares for newborns, premature babies and children, and her published research includes work on feeding in preterm babies and family-centered newborn care. You can see all of her publications on her ORCID profile. Looking for Doctor Rafia Gul for your baby? Visit rafiagul.com to book an appointment.

More About Dr. Rafia Gul

Published in the Annals of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Vol. 21, No. 4 (October–December 2025), Original Articles. PDF shared by the authors.