**2.5 Renal problems**

Preterm infants exhibit increased sensitivity to impaired renal function. This is due to enhanced kidney maturation, fewer functional nephrons and higher renal filtration rate [45]. Acute kidney injury (AKI) in preterm infants can cause longlasting renal damage leading to chronic kidney disease in adulthood [46]. Extremely premature infants are prone to developing AKI in the first days of life. Serum creatinine levels reflect maternal levels immediately after birth. Serum creatinine then picks, reaches a plateau in the first days of life, and declines thereafter. ELBW infants with AKI showed reduced survival until 36 weeks of post-menstrual age (PMA) [45]. Fluid status monitoring is a paramount. It involves daily monitoring of electrolytes, body weight, diuresis, blood pressure and insensible water loss.
