Upper metastable limit osmolality of urine as a predictor of kidney stone formation in children.

High fluid intake has been universally recommended for kidney stone prophylaxis. We evaluated 24-h urine osmolality regarded as the best biomarker of optimal hydration and upper metastable limit osmolality after water evaporation from urine sample to the onset of spontaneous crystallization and its usefulness as a new risk index that would describe an individual lithogenic potential. We collected 24-h urine from 257 pediatric patients with kidney stones and 270 controls.

Urinary citrate excretion in healthy children depends on age and gender.

Background: Hypocitraturia is considered a major risk factor for calcium stone formation. However, there is no widely accepted reference database of urinary citrate excretion in children. The aim of our study was to determine the amount of citrate eliminated in the urine over a 24-h period in a pediatric cohort and to determine an optimal unit reflecting excretion.

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D, osteocalcin, and parathormone status in children with meningomyelocele.

Sufficient vitamin D levels are required for normal skeletal development and mineralization. This is particularly important in children with meningomyelocele who are at an increased risk of osteoporosis. The purpose of this study was to assess serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] and the biochemical markers of bone metabolism (parathormone, osteocalcin, alkaline phosphatase, and electrolytes) in children with meningomyelocele.