Foundation: intrauterine growth restriction constitutes a complication of pregnancy. Newborns with this condition are exposed to an increased risk of perinatal and postnatal morbidity and mortality.

Objective: to evaluate morphological markers of hypoxia in fetal and kidney development, using a model of placental insufficiency treated with human erythropoietin with low sialic acid content (neuro-Epo) in rats.

Methods: three groups of gestated rats from the Wistar line were used. A control group (group I) and two experimental groups (groups II and III) with six rats each. Rats of groups II and III had uterine artery ligation on day 16 of pregnancy (E 16). Group III from E16 to E19 was administered a dose of 0.5 mg / kg / day of neuro-Epo subcutaneously and group II was administered placebo. On the 20th day of gestation the fetuses and their placentas were weighed. The fetuses' size and cephalic diameters were measured. Morphometric and histological features in the fetal kidney were studied with hematoxylin-eosin staining and PAS. A qualitative histopathological analysis of their cell types was performed.

Results: fetuses with intrauterine growth restriction did not improve growth markers. Hypoxia lesions were found in the fetal kidney of the untreated IUGR group that improved by administering neuro-Epo.

Conclusions: the administration of neuro-Epo only showed reparative and protective effects on histological alterations caused by hypoxia in the fetal kidney.