Introduction:

congenital renal and urinary tract anomalies are the main cause of chronic kidney disease in children. Its etiology is multifactorial. Maternal, genetic and environmental factors are involved. In Cuba, congenital renal and urinary tract affections constitute a latent concern, and although their prenatal diagnoses have increased, the number of diagnosed patients is high.

Objective:

to contribute to the knowledge of the scientific community in relation to the risk factors associated with renal developmental anomalies.

Methods:

a systematic review of the available medical literature was carried out in Ebsco, SciELO, Scopus and Pubmed databases, in pediatric nephrology, pediatrics, genetics, and teratology journals as well as in the academic social network: Researchgate. Several articles published in Spanish and English languages were accessed during the last five years. The used descriptors were congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract, hydronephrosis, risk factors, prenatal diagnosis and congenital abnormalities.

Conclusions:

the presence of diabetes, from the preconceptional stage and during the first weeks of pregnancy, obesity, maternal diets low in protein, and fertility disorders, are associated with renal developmental anomalies. There are specific risk factors for certain types of kidney and urinary tract birth defects. It is not considered that the consumption of folic acid has a protective role on the alterations of renal embryogenesis, so it is recommended to be cautious with the dose administered to pregnant women.