Doha: Japanese researchers have recently made significant strides in developing treatments to mitigate health issues like kidney disorders for low birthweight babies, while also aiming to stop the intergenerational cycle of these diseases. Around 10 percent of babies in Japan are born with low birthweight, presenting a heightened but not fully understood risk of developing lifestyle-related diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes during adulthood. According to Qatar News Agency, the research, led by Tohoku University, involved creating a low birthweight mouse model that developed kidney disorders and hypertension as it aged. This study was published in the US journal iScience. The team discovered that when these low birthweight mice became pregnant, they exhibited deficiencies in fetal growth-supporting liver and placenta functions. The research took a promising turn when the administration of a special vasodilating drug to pregnant low birthweight mice resulted in increased fetal weight for their offspring and reduced the risk of hypertension later in life. This could potentially lead to new treatments for human infants born with low birthweight, aiming to improve their long-term health outcomes.