A link exists between low birth weight and diseases in adulthood, such as hypertension,
cardiovascular disease, and insulin resistance. Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) has
been used to explain this association and has been shown to lead to a nephron endowment
in humans. A reduction in glomerular number has been described in animal models with
induced low birth weight as well but not in animals with spontaneous low birth weight. It
therefore is debatable whether the models are suitable. The effect on glomerular number …