Although obstructive nephropathy remains a major cause of renal insufficiency in infants and
children, current medical and surgical management is unsatisfactory. The response of the
developing kidney to obstructed urine flow depends on the stage of renal development, and
the severity of obstruction: obstruction early in nephrogenesis may lead to renal dysplasia,
while obstruction later in nephrogenesis delays nephron maturation, and can result in
reduced nephron number. In contrast to the adult, who can recover from even complete …