Ultrasound assessment of renal size in healthy term neonates : a report from Benin city, Nigeria

Knowledge of the normal range of renal size is useful in appreciating variations that may occur due to morbidities. Ultrasound is a simple and safe method of evaluating renal sizes in all age groups. This is a prospective study of the assessment of renal dimensions in apparently healthy neonates at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Nigeria. One hundred and fifty neonates were studied, including eighty-five males (56.7 %), and sixty-five females (43.3 %). The mean length of the right kidney was 44.9 ± 3.2 mm and the mean length of the left kidney was 44.4 ± 3.5 mm. The difference in renal length between the two sides was not statistically significant. The height and weight of the child showed strong correlation with longitudinal renal measurements. The study also showed the independence of neonatal renal sizes on gender and race.