Kidney Issues Emerging in Children After Mild COVID-19 Infections Raises New Concerns
Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Apr 28, 2025 6 hours, 57 minutes ago
Medical News: New Alarming Insights into Pediatric Kidney Health Post-COVID-19
A new study by researchers from the Pediatrics and Neonatology Unit of Santa Maria Goretti Hospital and Sapienza University of Rome, together with experts from the Dermatopathic Institute of the Immaculate IDI IRCCS in Rome, Italy, has raised serious concerns about the kidney health of children who previously had mild COVID-19 infections.
Kidney Issues Emerging in Children After Mild COVID-19 Infections Raises New Concerns. (Note: Adbominal
Pains in Children Can be Signs of Kidney issues.)
Over the past few years, the world has become all too familiar with the dangerous effects of COVID-19. While severe complications like lung infections and multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, also known as MIS-C, have dominated headlines, scientists are now uncovering troubling evidence that even mild cases of COVID-19 might leave lasting impacts on a child’s kidneys. This
Medical News report discusses the critical findings of the latest Italian research that is likely to reshape how doctors and parents think about post COVID health.
The Hidden Threat in Mild Infections
While it is well known that severe COVID-19 can harm various organs, including the kidneys, very few studies have looked at the after effects in children who had only mild symptoms. To fill this knowledge gap, researchers at Santa Maria Goretti Hospital and Sapienza University of Rome-Italy, along with their colleagues at the Dermatopathic Institute of the Immaculate IDI IRCCS, conducted a large study between May 2020 and March 2022.
They focused on children aged 3 to 18 years who had tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by molecular swab but had only experienced mild symptoms like a runny nose, short term fever, cough, tiredness, or muscle aches. Children with any history of kidney issues or serious illnesses were carefully excluded to ensure the study focused solely on new potential problems caused by the virus.
A total of 148 children were enrolled in the study about three months after their infection ended. The researchers ran a battery of tests, including measuring kidney filtration rates, checking for the presence of protein and blood in urine, and evaluating the function of the tiny tubes inside the kidneys.
What the Research Uncovered
Shockingly, more than half of the children studied, 52.7 percent, had abnormal levels of protein in their urine, a strong indicator of kidney damage. In addition, about one third, 33.9 percent, showed signs of hyperfiltration, where the kidneys are working harder than normal, a phenomenon that if persistent can eventually lead to kidney failure. On the flip side, 17.6 percent had a reduced kidney filtration rate.
Among other findings, 14.9 percent had high levels of calcium in their urine, and 10.9 percent showed microscopic amounts of blood in their urine, even though they had no obvious symptoms.
Interestingly, boys were more likely to have hyperfiltration c
ompared to girls, 38.9 percent versus 22.4 percent. Meanwhile, girls showed higher levels of calcium in their urine and slightly more cases of protein and blood in the urine than boys.
The study also revealed that children with hyperfiltration were more likely to have greater amounts of protein in their urine. Importantly, the levels of protein tended to decrease over time after infection, suggesting that some of the kidney damage may slowly heal.
Comparison with Healthy Children
To strengthen their findings, the researchers compared their results to a group of healthy children from before the pandemic. The differences were clear. The children who had recovered from mild COVID-19 had higher kidney filtration rates and higher protein levels in their urine than the healthy controls.
This difference suggests that the coronavirus, even when causing only mild symptoms, may still cause significant hidden damage to the kidneys that is not immediately obvious without specific medical tests.
Possible Reasons for the Damage
Experts believe several mechanisms could explain how SARS-CoV-2 harms the kidneys even in mild cases.
First, the virus can directly invade kidney tissues, which are rich in ACE2 receptors, the same entry point SARS-CoV-2 uses to infect human cells. Second, the inflammation triggered by the virus, including the so-called cytokine storm, may also harm delicate kidney structures. Finally, small blood clots and microvascular damage, which have been observed in other studies, may further contribute to the kidney injury seen in these children.
Autopsy studies in adults and some children have found viral particles inside kidney tissues and signs of both tubular and glomerular damage, strengthening the suspicion that COVID-19 can cause direct and indirect renal injury.
Long Term Implications and Why Parents Should Care
Although some of the kidney problems observed seemed to improve over time, the researchers strongly warn that these issues should not be overlooked. Persistent hyperfiltration and proteinuria, even if mild, could increase the risk of developing chronic kidney disease later in life.
Children with damaged kidneys may not show any symptoms until significant deterioration has occurred. By the time symptoms like swelling, fatigue, or changes in urination become visible, substantial and possibly irreversible harm may already have taken place.
The researchers recommend that all children who had COVID-19, even if the infection was mild, should undergo routine kidney function screening. This would include simple urine tests to detect proteinuria and blood tests to check filtration rates. Follow up assessments over time could help identify children at risk early and prevent the development of severe kidney disease.
Conclusions
This groundbreaking study provides a crucial warning to the global medical community and to parents. COVID-19 is not always over just because the acute symptoms fade away. Even mild infections in children could quietly damage their kidneys, leaving them vulnerable to more serious problems later in life. The findings highlight the urgent need for post-COVID monitoring programs focused on renal health, especially given the high rates of proteinuria and hyperfiltration detected in the study population.
The results suggest that routine kidney function tests should become a standard part of follow up care for all children who recover from COVID-19. By identifying issues early, doctors can intervene with lifestyle changes, medications, or other treatments to protect kidney health over the long term. Furthermore, future research is needed to better understand the exact biological mechanisms behind this phenomenon and to establish clearer guidelines for post-COVID care in young populations. Until then, vigilance remains critical, both for healthcare providers and parents alike.
The study findings were published in the peer reviewed journal: Microorganisms.
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/13/5/1008
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