Hi Sas, the placenta does the function of the baby's kidneys in utero (filtering and removal of waste) and the kidney's themselves don't kick in until shortly before birth. Because of the multiple structural abnormalities in my DS's kidney, it didn't appear that it would be able to function. There is a minimum weight requirement of 5kgs for dialysis and I was told (by a urologist at the RCH in Melbourne) that kidney transplants are not performed on neonates as they are generally unsuccessful. Therefore, if a kidney becomes available which is suitable for a paediatric (an adult kidney would be too large for a tiny baby) it would be given to an older bub with a better chance of success and survival.

Babywonderful, I know how it feels to be told that there is something 'wrong' with your precious baby, but I will always remember DS's urologist telling me 'if you're going to be born without an organ, one of your kidney's is the best one to be absent' because you can live perfectly well with one. Although it's normal to worry, and I'm sure you will until you see your healthy baby girl, remember that it is quite common for a baby to be born with only one kidney - somewhere between 1 in every 500 to 2000 babies is born with an absent kidney. And the vast majority of those babies are healthy, happy and 'normal' in every other way.