Pregnancy in women with chronic renal failure

We describe 19 pregnancies in 18 women with chronic renal disease and plasma creatinine greater than or equal to 1.6 mg/dl before pregnancy. There were 2 spontaneous abortions (11th and 21st week), 2 therapeutic abortions (18th and 19th week), 1 stillbirth (30th week), 1 neonatal death (31st week) and 13 live births, 7 of them were preterm. Nine cesarean sections were done. Serial determinations of plasma creatinine during pregnancy showed a trend to decrease during the first half and to increase during the second half of pregnancy. The effect of pregnancy on the progression of renal failure was evaluated in 14 patients by comparing the linear regression lines of reciprocal plasma creatinine versus time before and after pregnancy. In 5 patients the rate of progression worsened after pregnancy. Our data indicate that women with chronic renal failure may have a successful pregnancy, but one third of them will have an accelerated rate of progression of the disease.     

Outcome of Pregnancy in Women with Glomerular Diseases

Over the last 16 years the evolution of 24 pregnancies in 17 women with biopsy-proven glomerular disease was analyzed. The underlying renal histology was IgA nephropathy in 8 cases, lupus nephritis in 7, mesangiocapillary glomerulonephritis type I in 1, and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis in 1. All but 2 had normal renal function before conception and 3 were hypertensive. Fetal survival rate was 75%. There were 6 preterm deliveries (33.3%), 3 newborns small for gestational age (17%), 1 stillbirth, and 5 therapeutic abortions. The perinatal mortality was 5.5%. De novo hypertension occurred in 8 pregnancies (33.3%). In 11 pregnancies (46%) increased proteinuria was diagnosed and in 6 (25%) a decline in maternal renal function was recorded. Permanent impairment of renal function was seen in 2 women with renal insufficiency before conception. Maternal hypertension and renal function impairment were associated more frequently with obstetric complications. In conclusion, pregnancy is safe for normotensive mothers with glomerular diseases and normal renal function. Hypertension and impaired renal function at conception seem to carry increased risk for mothers and fetuses. Low-dose immunosuppressive treatment during pregnancy is not harmful for the fetus.     

Pregnancy after organ transplantation: a report from the UK Transplant pregnancy registry

BACKGROUND: Maternal and fetal complications in pregnancies after renal transplantation have been highlighted in several reports, but information on their main predisposing factors is limited. The U.K. Transplant Pregnancy Registry was established in 1997 to obtain detailed information on pregnancies in female organ transplant recipients across the U.K. METHODS: For each female kidney, liver, or cardiothoracic organ transplant recipient who had had a recent pregnancy, data on maternal and fetal factors and pregnancy outcomes were collected using forms completed by their transplant follow-up and obstetric units. For kidney transplant recipients, the factors that influence pregnancy outcome were studied using logistic regression, and the effect of pregnancy on graft function was analyzed. RESULTS: There were live births in 83%, 69%, and 79% of pregnancies in cardiothoracic organ, liver, and kidney recipients, respectively. In 50% of live births from renal patients, delivery was preterm (<37 weeks), with 83% of the preterm infants delivered via caesarean. Preterm delivery was associated with maternal drug-treated hypertension and impaired renal function. A matched case-control study showed no evidence of increased renal allograft loss after pregnancy. A univariate survival analysis, however, suggested an association between drug-treated hypertension during pregnancy and poorer postpregnancy graft survival. In patients with prepregnancy serum creatinine (SCr) >150 micromol/L, a trend toward increased postpregnancy SCr was identified. CONCLUSIONS: Pregnancy is likely to end in a live birth in a majority of organ transplant recipients. In patients with greater prepregnancy SCr and/or drug-treated hypertension during pregnancy, however, subsequent renal function may be adversely affected.     

Glomerular disease and pregnancy. A study of 123 pregnancies in patients with primary and secondary glomerular diseases

The clinical course of 123 pregnancies in 86 patients with biopsy-proven glomerular diseases have been studied. In 35 women the onset of nephropathy occurred during pregnancy. No complications were observed in more than half of the pregnancies. In the others, one third of the complications were obstetrical or fetal accidents, one third were renal manifestations (hypertension or deterioration of renal function) and one third were both causes. The lowest incidence of complications was observed in patients with membranous nephropathy and the highest in membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis patients. There were 6 spontaneous late abortion, 6 stillbirths and 5 neonatal deaths. 17 deliveries were preterm and 7 fetuses were small for gestational age. Hypertension appeared in 24 pregnancies, in 13 of which it was reversible and related to superimposed preeclampsia and in 11 it persisted after delivery (5 of these 11 pregnancies were in patients with IgA nephropathy). Renal function deteriorated in 10 cases during pregnancy. The deterioration was reversible in 6 and progressive in 4 (2 of whom had membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis). It is suggested that in most patients pregnancy does not change the natural history of glomerular disease.     

Pregnancy in chronic hemodialysis patients in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Pregnancy rarely occurs in chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients. In an attempt to survey the incidence of pregnancy in our HD population in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia over the past 5 years, we sent a questionnaire to the 63 centers currently operating in the Kingdom. There were a total of 2,170 patients in the centers, 907 of whom were females. Twenty-one centers, with 50% of all the females on dialysis in Saudi Arabia, responded. Twenty-seven pregnancies in 22 patients were reported. Their ages ranged from 21 to 40 years, with a mean of 26 years. All patients had successful past pregnancies before renal failure. All pregnancies occurred between 1 month to 5 years after beginning HD. Five patients had more than one pregnancy while on HD treatment. Ten pregnancies continued for more than 28 weeks, with seven cases continuing for more than 34 weeks. Eight of the successful pregnancies ended in live births, with one report of ventricular septal defect (VSD). All but two deliveries, which were induced, were spontaneous, with negligible morbidity of mothers and babies. The rest of the pregnancies (total, 17) were unsuccessful despite efforts to continue them and ended before 28 weeks of pregnancy. There were no significant differences in blood pressure, hemoglobin level, serum creatinine, type of dialysate, location of HD centers, past history of gestation, or duration on HD between the subgroups of pregnancies ending before or after 28 weeks. Dialysis hours per week were significantly longer in the patient group with pregnancy continued more than 28 weeks compared with the group with shorter duration of pregnancy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Pregnancy after lung transplant

The purpose of this study was to analyze pregnancy outcomes in female lung transplant recipients. Data were collected from the National Transplantation Pregnancy Registry via questionnaires, interviews, and hospital records. Twenty-one female lung recipients reported 30 pregnancies with 32 outcomes (1 triplet pregnancy). Outcomes included 18 live births, 5 therapeutic abortions, and 9 spontaneous abortions. No stillbirths or ectopic pregnancies were reported. Mean (SD) interval from transplant to conception was 3.6 (3.3) years (range, 0.1-11.3 years). Comorbid conditions during pregnancy included hypertension in 16, infections in 7, diabetes in 7, preeclampsia in 1, and rejection in 5 women. Ten of the 21 recipients received a transplant because of cystic fibrosis and accounted for 12 pregnancy outcomes (7 live births, 3 spontaneous abortions, and 2 therapeutic abortions). At last recipient contact, 13 had adequate function, 2 had reduced function, 5 recipients had died (2 with cystic fibrosis), and 1 recipient had a nonfunctioning transplant. Mean gestational age of the newborn was 33.9 (SD, 5.2) weeks, and 11 were born preterm (<37 weeks). Mean birthweight was 2206 (SD, 936) g and 11 were low birthweight (<2500 g). Two neonatal deaths were associated with a triplet pregnancy; one fetus spontaneously aborted at 14 weeks and 2 died after preterm birth at 22 weeks. At last follow-up, all 16 surviving children were reported healthy and developing well. Successful pregnancy is possible after lung transplant, even among recipients with a diagnosis of cystic fibrosis.     

Pregnancy and renal transplantation

Ovarian dysfunction, anovulatory vaginal bleeding, amenorrhea, high prolactin levels, and loss of libido are the causes of infertility in women with chronic renal failure. After renal transplantation, endocrine function generally improves after recovery of renal function. In this study we retrospectively evaluated the prepregnancy and postdelivery renal function, outcome of gestation, as well as maternal and fetal complications for eight pregnancies in eight renal transplant recipients between November 1975 and March 2003 of 1095 among 1425. Eight planned pregnancies occurred at a mean of 3.6 years posttransplant. Spontaneous abortion occured in the first trimester in one case. One intrauterine growth retardation was observed with a full-term pregnancy; one intrauterine growth retardation and preterm delivery; one preeclampsia with preterm delivery and urinary tract infection; and one preeclampsia with preterm delivery and oligohydramnios. The mean gestation period was 35.5 +/- 3.0 weeks (31.2 to 38.0). Pregnancy had no negative impact on renal function during a 2-year follow-up. No significant proteinuria or acute rejection episodes were observed. Among the seven deliveries, no congenital anomaly was documented and no postpartum problems for the child and the mother were observed. Our study suggests that successful pregnancy is possible in renal transplant recipients. In cases with good graft function and absence of severe proteinuria or hypertension, pregnancy does not affect graft function or patient survival; however, fetal problems are encountered such as intrauterine growth retardation, low birth weight, and preeclampsia.     

Biochemical parameters, renal function, and outcome of pregnancy in kidney transplant recipient

Introduction

The number of women who would like to have a baby after renal transplantation has increased. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of pregnancy on the lipid profiles and renal functions among transplantation patients as well as the maternal and fetal results of pregnancy.

Materials and Methods

We searched files of female patients who underwent renal transplantation between 1998 and 2008 to discover 31 pregnancies among 24 women.

Results

Mean duration of dialysis and age at transplantation for the 24 cases were 22.7 ± 24.1 months (range, 0–72) and 21.2 ± 4.6 years (range, 13–34), respectively. The time between transplantation and conception as well as age at conception were 5.2 ± 1.9 and 26.4 ± 4.4 years, respectively. Creatinine levels in the second trimester were significantly lower (P = .000). Gestational bicarbonate and albumin levels were significantly lower (P = .009 and P = .001, respectively). There were significant differences between the preconception triglyceride (TG) and those in the second and third trimesters (P = .006 and P = .00, respectively). TG levels increased as trimesters progressed (P = .000). Moreover, TG levels were higher among patients taking cyclosporine. Of pregnancies that passed the first trimester, 88.4% resulted in live births. There were 23 (74.19%) live births among 31 pregnancies with a cesarean section rate of 58%. Of the cases, 16.1% delivered preterm and 19.4% of babies had low birth weights.

Conclusion

We believe that women with renal transplants can have healthy babies with close monitoring during pregnancy and without any effect on graft survival.     

Influences of pregnancy on the natural course of chronic glomerulonephritis with impaired renal function]

In an attempt to clarify the influence of pregnancy on the natural course of the chronic glomerulonephritis with impaired renal function (glomerular filtration rate: GFR less than or equal to 70 ml/min), the courses of 14 pregnancies occurring in 10 patients (seven with IgA nephropathy, one with membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis, one with membranous nephropathy and one with hereditary nephropathy) were studied. In 8 patients GFR measured before pregnancies ranged from 46 to 70 ml/min and in the other two creatinine clearance estimated in the first trimester of pregnancies was 62 and 49 ml/min, respectively. The pregnancies resulted in 10 live births, one spontaneous abortion, one artificial abortion and 2 neonatal deaths. In 2 out of 10 live births fetal weight was less than 2500 g. In 3 of 11 pregnancies there was neither increase in urinary protein nor elevation of blood pressure during pregnancies, while seven (64%) had increased proteinuria during the third trimester, and 4 of them were also complicated with hypertension. In 6 of 10 patients, there was no decrease in GFR during pregnancies. In three patients GFR was decreased from 70 to 36 ml/min, 70 to 58 ml/min and 62 to 48 ml/min, respectively. However, these reductions were considered to go with the natural course of respective patients because the reduction slopes were almost the same or rather mild in comparison with those estimated before or after pregnancies. The other patient also had a transient increase in serum creatinine level during two pregnancies, but the reciprocals of serum creatinine concentration before and after the pregnanciesdeclined linearly with time. These data suggest that pregnancy might have little influence on the natural course of the chronic glomerulonephritis even if complicated with renal functional impairment defined as GFR of 70 ml/min or less.     

Pregnancy outcome after liver transplantation: a single-center experience of 71 pregnancies in 45 recipients.

Infertility is common in women with end-stage liver disease. Successful liver transplant (LT), however, can restore childbearing potential. Controversy exists regarding the most appropriate immunosuppressive regimen and timing of conception following LT. We report the outcomes of a review of all pregnancies occurring following LT at King's College Hospital, London, from 1988 to 2004. Seventy-one pregnancies were recorded in 45 women. Tacrolimus (60%) and cyclosporin A (38%) were the predominant primary immunosuppressive agents used. Median age at conception was 29 years (range, 19-42), with a median time from LT to conception of 40 months (range, 1-111). There were 50 live births, and no maternal or fetal deaths related to pregnancy. There were no graft losses. Median gestation was 37 weeks (range, 24-42) with a median birth weight of 2,690 g (range, 554-4,260). Caesarean section was performed in 40% of pregnancies. Complications included pregnancy-induced hypertension in 20%, preeclampsia in 13%, acute cellular rejection in 17%, and renal impairment in 11%. There was no statistically significant difference in complication rates observed between immunosuppressive groups. Pregnancies occurring within 1-year posttransplant had an increased incidence of prematurity, low birth weight, and acute cellular rejection compared to those occurring later than 1 year. In conclusion, this study confirms that favorable outcomes of pregnancy post-LT can be expected for the majority of patients. However, delaying pregnancy until after 1-year post-LT is advisable, since doing so maybe associated with a lower risk of prematurity.     

The experience of pregnancy after renal transplantation: pregnancies even within postoperative 1 year may be tolerable

BACKGROUND: To identify factors related with successful pregnancy in renal transplant recipients and the effect of pregnancy on long-term graft outcome. METHODS: The study group consisted of 48 women who conceived after undergoing renal transplantation (total pregnancies 74). The control group consisted of 187 nonpregnant female renal transplant recipients. RESULTS: Mean ages at the time of transplantation and pregnancy were 28.0+/-4.0 years and 31.6+/-4.1 years, respectively. The mean interval from transplantation to pregnancy was 40.2+/-27.1 months. Outcomes included 49 live births, 12 terminations, 9 miscarriages, 3 stillbirths, and 1 ectopic pregnancy. Eleven of the 74 pregnancies (15%) were within 1 year of transplantation, resulting in seven live births, two miscarriages, and two terminations. Live births were associated with younger age at the time of transplantation (relative risk, 0.75; P=0.042) and younger age at the time of pregnancy (relative risk, 0.76; P=0.022). Graft failure rate from transplantation to end of follow-up did not differ between the pregnant and nonpregnant groups (19% vs. 21%, P=0.688). The 10-year graft survival rates were also similar in the 11 women who became pregnant less than or equal to 12 months after transplantation and the 37 who became pregnant more than 12 months after transplantation (78.8% vs. 78.6%, P=0.941). CONCLUSION: A younger age at transplantation and at pregnancy was associated with a greater likelihood of a live birth. Transplantation to conception interval of less than 1 year was not associated with a greater number of adverse pregnancy events when compared with the group with transplantation to conception interval greater than 1 year.     

Pregnancy in patients on chronic ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.

Both conception and successful completion of pregnancy are rare occurrences in female patients on chronic renal replacement therapy. Only a handful of successful pregnancies and deliveries have been reported in patients receiving hemodialysis (HD). Even less common are reports of successful pregnancy and delivery in patients receiving chronic ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). Among the more common causes of fetal loss are abruptio placentae and other causes of spontaneous miscarriage. We report here three cases of pregnancy in patients on CAPD; two of these pregnancies progressed successfully to spontaneous delivery, while the third terminated during an episode of acute peritonitis. Furthermore, we have reviewed the literature concerning the outcome of pregnancy in the dialysis population on CAPD.     

Pregnancy during chronic hemodialysis: a single dialysis-unit experience with five cases

BACKGROUND: Pregnancy is uncommon in women with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) requiring chronic dialysis. An increasing number of successful pregnancies in women in hemodialytic treatment have been recently reported but few institutions experienced more than one or two cases of pregnancy. METHODS: Between 1988-1998 five pregnancies in patients receiving hemodialysis were observed in our center. Medical records of these patients were reviewed. RESULTS: At the conception the mean age was 27 years. One patient started dialysis after conception. All patients received bicarbonate dialysis. Three patients were dialyzed six times per week, the other two patients three-four times per week. The dry weight was increased progressively; on average of 1.2 +/- 0.5 kg in the first trimester and of 0.5 kg per week since the second trimester. The predialysis BUN was maintained between 50-100 mg/dL (17.85-35,70 mmol/L) during the pregnancy. Four patients were treated with erythropoietin to maintain hematocrit between 30-35%. Erythropoietin related-complications were not observed. Polyhydramnios was observed in all cases. All deliveries occurred before term. The mean gestational age of infants was 28.6 +/- 4 weeks. Four out of five pregnancies resulted in liveborn infants. Two infants had an Apgar score of zero. All neonates were of low birth weight (1,431 +/- 738 g) with percentile of birth weight in the normal range. No one was small for date. CONCLUSION: A successful pregnancy is possible in women on chronic dialysis. Prematurity occurs frequently as well as low weight birth leading to increased perinatal morbidity and mortality.     

Pregnancy in patients with IgA nephropathy: a retrospective study for 20 years

Objective To analyze prognosis of pregnancy and kidney disease, and evaluate effects of renal pathology on pregnant outcomes and clinical risk factors of adverse outcomes of pregnancy in IgA nephropathy (IgAN) patients. Methods IgAN patients with more than 20 weeks of pregnancy were included, by retrieving the medical database in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 1996 to December 2015. Their detailed information during hospitalization and follow-up was recorded, and outcomes of pregnancy and kidney diseases in IgAN patients were assessed. According to Lee's renal pathological grade system, patients were divided into gradeⅣ&Ⅴ group and below grade Ⅳ group to compare their pregnant prognosis. IgAN patients were divied into fetus survival group and fetus death group according to their pregnancy outcomes. The fetal survival factors were analyzed by single factor and multivariate regression. Results A total of 64 pregnancies in 62 patients were included with a mean age of (30.31±4.05) years. The fetus survival rate was 87.5% and the average gestational periods was (35.41±5.10) weeks (ranging from 20-40 weeks). The incidence of pregnancy-induced hypertension syndrome is 17.2% (11 cases). The preterm birth rate was 24.1% (14 cases) among the live births. Serum creatinine increased in 18 cases (28.1%) during pregnancy with median increment of 38.5 μmol/L, and 72.2% patients completely recovered to the level before pregnancy in the postpartum period of 6 months. The incidence of fetus death (38.1% vs 0.0%, P＜0.01), low birth weight infant (46.2% vs 11.1%, P＜0.05) and pregnancy-induced hypertension syndrome (33.3% vs 11.1%, P＜0.05) in Lee's grade Ⅳ&Ⅴ group was higher than those in below grade Ⅳ group. The serum creatinine, urine protein excretion, renal hypertension before pregnancy and renal segmental glomerular sclerosis were significantly increased in fetus death group as compared with those in fetus survival group (all P＜0.05). Logistic regression showed that in all patients an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR)＜60 ml?min-1?(1.73 m2)-1 (OR=76.978, 95%CI 3.327-1780.939, P=0.007) and renal hypertension (OR=14.464,95%CI 1.245-168.053, P=0.033) before pregnancy were the independent risk factors for fetus death, while multipara was a protective factor (OR=0.063, 95%CI 0.005-0.876, P=0.040). Conclusions The fetus survival and kidney prognosis in IgAN patients are closely related to the severity of clinical and pathological changes before pregnancy. Reduced eGFR and complication of renal hypertension are the independent risk factors for adverse prognosis of pregnancy.     

Successful pregnancy in a patient with medullary cystic disease and severe renal impairment

We present a successful pregnancy in a 37-year-old women with severe renal impairment due to medullary cystic disease. She presented five years earlier with hypertension and chronic renal failure with creatinine was 2.1 mg/dl (Ccr 35 ml/min). She had had two successful pregnancies in the past, nine and seven years earlier. Diagnosis of medullary cystic disease (MCD) was made based on typical ultrasound appearance, sodium wasting and acidosis out of the proportion to the degree of renal failure. Over the next 5 years, a slow progression of chronic renal failure was observed with creatinine reaching 5.1 mg/dl (Ccr 15,4 ml/min), shortly before she became pregnant in December 2001. Her hypertension remained well-controlled and serum creatinine decreased at the beginning of the second trimester to 3.7 mg/dl with subsequent increase toward the end of the pregnancy. She required increasing doses of erythropoietin and intravenous iron supplementation to maintain hemoglobin levels. The polyhydramnios developed necessitating five procedures of amnio reduction. She was not treated by dialysis. A boy weighing 1,600 g was delivered by cesarean section in the 35th week of gestation. The mother's creatinine rose to 5.2 mg/dl (Ccr 15 ml/min) post partum and her renal function declined only slightly over the next 20 months. Our report illustrates that successful fetal and maternal outcome can be achieved even in cases of advanced renal failure preceding gestation. It appears that the type of renal disease influences the pregnancy course and outcome and thus should be considered in patient counseling and therapeutic decisions.     

Safe for Mother,Baby, and Graft? Pregnancy After Liver Transplant: A Single-Center Experience

BackgroundAlthough fertility is reduced in patients with liver cirrhosis, recovery of menstrual cycle is acquired after liver transplantation (LT) in most patients, and pregnancy in LT recipients is not unusual. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of pregnancies in LT recipients in our center.MethodsData of 24 pregnancies in 14 LT recipients were collected and statistically analyzed. Demographic and clinical data were documented in each trimester of pregnancy and thereafter. The analysis was conducted in accordance with the 1975 Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the ethics committee of the University Hospital Essen.ResultsMedian patient age was 21.5 years (range, 2-32 years) at LT and 31 years (range, 19-41 years) at conception. Median time between LT and conception was 126 months (range, 38-332 months), and median gestation time of completed pregnancies was 38 weeks (range, 29-40 weeks). Seven pregnancies terminated in abortions (29%). Of all deliveries, 6 resulted in preterm births (35%) with median gestation time of 34.5 weeks (range, 29-37 weeks). Gestational diabetes mellitus was the most common maternal complication, occurring in 4 patients (17%). One patient suffered from preeclampsia (4%). Pregnancy-induced hypertension or acute cellular rejection was not reported in our cohort. None of the children had serious complications.ConclusionsOur data show favorable outcome for pregnancy in LT recipients for mother and offspring. However, these patients are still at risk, particularly regarding high rates of preterm delivery, and preconception counseling and multidisciplinary monitoring are crucial to manage possible complications.     

Delivery in female kidney transplant recipients with hepatitis C virus infection: is it safe for mother and newborn?

The aim of this report is to evaluate whether pregnancy is a risk factor for poor outcome of infection with hepatitis C virus or for allograft deterioration among kidney transplant recipients. The first case was in a 41-year-old pregnant kidney transplant recipient with hypercreatinemia and a history of toxic hepatitis. The second case was treated with interferon before transplant. Tacrolimus-based immunosuppressive regimens were used during the pregnancies. Hypertension complicated both pregnancies, and the pregnancies ended with cesarean delivery at preterm and term with healthy but low-weight newborns. The first patient became positive for hepatitis C virus RNA after pregnancy without a flare in transaminase level. Antibodies to hepatitis C virus were negative in the newborns. In conclusion, pregnancy should be promoted for kidney recipients infected with hepatitis C virus who have stable graft and liver function.     

Pregnancy in patients on maintenance hemodialysis: seven cases report and 169 reported cases review

Objective To analyze and summarize the cases of pregnancy on maintenance hemodialysis (MHD), and review the literature. Methods Seven cases of pregnancy and childbirth in patients on MHD in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University from Jan 2009 to Dec 2017 were analyzed, and the literature about pregnancy in patients on MHD reported in Pubmed and Web of Science database was retrieved. Both maternal and fetal outcome were studied. Results There are seven pregnant MHD patients in this center, among whom six patients went through a smooth pregnancy and one patient had intra-uterine fetal death at 14 weeks of pregnancy. The six patients had preterm labor. Among six fetuses, four grew in good health and developed well, one had physical development retardation and one had heart malformation at born. In the literature, 169 cases reported pregnant patients and 182 fetuses were evaluated, of which 145 live infants were delivered, 79.67% overall fetal survival rate, with gestational age of (32.94±3.34) weeks. In 164 delivered fetuses, 147 were preterm labor (89.63%). The weight of live births was (1824±609) g. There were no maternal deaths. Fetal survival rate was zero in＜20 weeks of gestational age, 20-24 weeks was 14.29%, 25-27 weeks was 45.45%, ≥28 weeks was 94.44%. The fetal survival rate was higher in pregnant woman receiving hemodialysis≥28 hours weekly compared to women receiving ＜16 hours weekly (92.31% vs 52.94%, P=0.02). Conclusions There are still a very high maternal and fetal complication rate in hemodialysis patients, especially in fetus. Gestational age≥28 weeks has a high fetal survival rate. Intensive dialysis during pregnancy may benefit higher fetal survival rate.     

Specific controversies concerning the natural history of renal disease in pregnancy

Whether or not pregnancy adversely affects the natural course of underlying primary renal disease, and whether fetal outcome is influenced by the type of renal disease per se are controversial issues. We retrospectively analyzed the fetal and maternal outcome in 148 women with various, biopsy-proven histological types of primary chronic glomerulonephritis (GN), including IgA GN (52 patients), membranous GN ([MGN] 20 patients), membranoproliferative type 1 GN ([MPGN] 58 patients), focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis ([FSGS] 13 patients), and minimal change nephrotic syndrome ([MCNS] 22 patients), who were pregnant (with a total of 290 pregnancies) after the clinical onset of GN, and in 104 women with reflux nephropathy (with a total of 254 pregnancies). Fetal outcome was poor in the presence of uncontrolled hypertension, nephrotic range proteinuria, and/or impaired renal function at conception or early in gestation, whatever the type of renal disease. An accelerated, more rapid than expected, worsening of maternal renal function was observed in five GN patients of whom four (two IgA, two MPGN) had serum creatinine (Scr) levels greater than 160 mumol/L (1.8 mg/dL) early in gestation, and in five patients with reflux nephropathy whose Scr at conception ranged from 180 to 490 mumol/L (2.0 to 5.5 mg/dL).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Pregnancy in IgA nephropathy, reflux nephropathy, and focal glomerular sclerosis

Fetal outcome was retrospectively studied in 217 pregnancies observed during the past two decades in 93 patients, 34 suffering from IgA nephropathy (IgAGN, 69 pregnancies), 53 from reflux nephropathy (RN, 137 pregnancies), and six from focal glomerular sclerosis (FGS, 10 pregnancies). Overall incidence of live births was 175 in 217 (81%). Fetal loss, corrected for induced abortions, was 10 in 66 (15%) in IgAGN, 18 in 129 (14%) in RN, and 2 in 10 in FGS. Renal failure and hypertension preexisting prior to conception or developing early in pregnancy were the most important factors associated with unsuccessful fetal outcome whereas urinary tract infection had limited effects in RN patients. Influence of pregnancy on the course of maternal renal disease was evaluated in the same groups of patients. An abnormally rapid deterioration of renal function was observed in three of the women with IgAGN and in one of the RN patients (with an additional case among 46 further female RN patients) but in none in the FGS group. All five women experiencing functional deterioration had a serum creatinine (SCr) level of greater than or equal to 200 mumol/L (2.3 mg/dL) and hypertension at conception. Hypertension in pregnancy was highly predictive of recurrence of hypertension in subsequent pregnancy and of the remote development of permanent hypertension in IgAGN patients. We conclude that when renal function is preserved, pregnancy is usually successful and no deleterious effects on maternal renal disease are to be expected in patients with IgAN, RN, and probably FGS.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)