Birth defects are more familiar in the kidney and urinary system than in any other system of the body. Defects could grow in the kidneys, the tubes that transfer urine from the kidneys to the bladder (ureters), the bladder, or the tube that drives out urine from the bladder (urethra).

Any birth defect that slows or blocks the stream of urine may lead to urine to vegetate, which could effect in infections or creation of kidney stones. Blockage effects in an upsurge in urine pressure too, which leads to urine to flow backward from the bladder into the kidneys and injures the kidneys and ureters eventually. The mixture of reflux and recurrent infections is particularly harmful to the kidneys.

Many birth defects involving the kidneys do not lead to symptoms and are not detected at all. A number of defects can interfere with the function of the kidneys, causing kidney failure, which may need dialysis or kidney transplantation.

A number of babies are born with no kidneys or with unusually formed kidneys. The kidney abnormality is occasionally part of a syndrome that influences many parts of the body.

From birth to age 4 years, birth defects and genetic diseases are considerably the foremost causes of kidney failure. Between ages 5 and 14 years, genetic diseases go on to be the most usual causes, followed intimately by glomerular diseases. In the 15- to 19-year-old age group, glomerular diseases are the foremost cause, and genetic diseases turn out to be rarer.

Approximately 1 in 1350 infants is diagnosed with a kidney malformation by age 1, in accordance with a California Birth Defects Monitoring Program study of 2.2 million births. These babies contain various diagnoses: renal agenesis, dysgenesis, cystic kidneys or other defect. This rate does not take in children with kidney damage developing from urinary tract obstruction.

Kidney defects could happen in either or both kidneys. Bilateral abnormalities in general lead to main problems since little or no urine is created. Lack of amniotic fluid (which derives from fetal urine) constricts fetal lung development; babies die before long after birth from respiratory deficiency. Getting no amniotic fluid on prenatal ultrasound is frequently a symptom of kidney problems.