IT’S an incredibly serious condition which affects newborn babies and affects less than one in every 3,000

But what is bilateral renal agenesis (BRA), and what do we know about it..?

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What is bilateral renal agenesis?

Bilateral renal agenesis is the more serious version of renal agenesis.

Renal agenesis is when a newborn is missing one or two of their kidneys at birth, unilateral renal agenesis (URA) is when one is missing and bilateral is when both are missing.

It’s a very rare condition and only occurs in less than one per cent of births annually.

Although we’re able to function with only a part of a kidney, it’s a different story when it comes to newborns and the conditions is lethal.

URA affects one in 1,000 and BRA is a lot rarer with one in 3,000 affected by the condition.

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What are some of the signs and symptoms?

Both kinds of renal agenesis are linked to a diversity of different birth defects such as lung problems, genitals and urinary tract, stomach, intestine and heart problems.

Other problems that are typically related in both kinds are ones with muscles, bones, eyes and ears.

URA sufferers’ symptoms may show at birth, in childhood or even later in life and can include high blood pressure, bloody urine or swelling in the face, legs or hands.

Whereas with BRA, those who are born with it are incredibly ill and rarely survive.

The signs of BRA are very prevalent and can include widely separated eyes  with skin folds over the eyelids, low set ears, a flat and broad nose, a small chin or arm and leg defects.

What is the survival rate of BRA?

The survival rate for those born with BRA is currently zero per cent.

There are no known survivors of the condition, and 40 per cent of those who develop it are stillborn, with those who survive the birth typically only living for a few hours.