Pregnancy in renal transplantation: Recipient and donor aspects in the Arab world

Mothers' Experiences With Pregnancy and Childbirth Following Pediatric Living Liver Transplant Donation: A Qualitative Descriptive Study

BACKGROUND

Half of pediatric living liver transplantation donors are mothers, including women of reproductive age. Reports on pregnancy and childbirth after living donor liver transplantation are limited to medical aspects, and mothers' experiences remain unclear. We describe the experiences of women who became pregnant and gave birth after living donor liver transplantation.

METHODS

We used a qualitative descriptive approach. Eleven women who became pregnant and delivered following pediatric living liver transplant donation participated in face-to-face, in-depth interviews. Data collected via semi-structured interviews were assessed using an inductive qualitative analysis. The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki.

RESULTS

Women's experiences with pregnancy and childbirth following pediatric living liver transplant donation were categorized as follows: explanation and consultation on pregnancy and childbirth after liver donation; physical and mental burden after liver donation; concern about the effects of donor surgery on pregnancy and childbirth; consideration for own body; concern about the physical condition of my child, who is the recipient; and the presence of health professionals with which to easily consult.

CONCLUSION

After donation, mothers are physically burdened and experiences anxiety about the physical condition of the recipient as well as about pregnancy and childbirth. Therefore, continuous psychosocial support is necessary.

Pregnancy Outcomes After Renal Transplantation: A Retrospective Case Series

Objective: To investigate the clinical characteristics and outcomes of pregnancies after renal transplantation (RT).

Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was employed. Data of obstetric, transplantation, pregnancy outcomes, and maternal and neonatal complications from 2000 to 2017 were obtained from a single obstetrics center.

Results: Eleven cases of pregnancies were included: the mean age at conception was 31.27 ± 3.44 (26–36, median 32) years and interval from RT to pregnancy was 51.18 ± 30.65 (25–132, median 38) months. The nine successful pregnancies (9/11) were all in women who maintained their immunosuppressive regimens. All infants were delivered by cesarean section for severe pre-eclampsia in eight cases and placental abruption in one case at a mean gestational age of 34.67 ± 1.41 (30–38) weeks and a median birth weight of 2374.56 ± 569.00 (1,325–3,070) g. Four of nine infants had low birth weight, and six of nine infants underwent premature delivery. The babies had no postpartum complications or congenital anomalies at follow-up period (12–180 months, mean 98.18 ± 54.73 months). One infant was transferred to the neonatal intensive care unit for neonatal asphyxia. Nine cases were uncomplicated at the first trimester, but developed severe pre-eclampsia after the second trimester. Two patients had allograft dysfunction from the second trimester and delivered at the third trimester, and then lost the allografts at 2 and 6 years postdelivery, respectively, whereas the other seven patients had well-functioning allografts at an average follow-up of 108 months. Two patients who decreased their immunosuppressive regimens and developed severe complications had second trimester therapeutic abortion and lost their allografts

Conclusions: During pregnancy, RT patients exhibit risks for the mother, fetus, newborn, and allograft. Decreasing immunosuppressors leads to poor outcomes. With proper peritransplant and periconceptional counseling, these patients can have acceptable pregnancy outcomes.

Pregnancy in Chronic Kidney Disease: Need for Higher Awareness. A Pragmatic Review Focused on What Could Be Improved in the Different CKD Stages and Phases

Pregnancy is possible in all phases of chronic kidney disease (CKD), but its management may be difficult and the outcomes are not the same as in the overall population. The prevalence of CKD in pregnancy is estimated at about 3%, as high as that of pre-eclampsia (PE), a better-acknowledged risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes. When CKD is known, pregnancy should be considered as high risk and followed accordingly; furthermore, since CKD is often asymptomatic, pregnant women should be screened for the presence of CKD, allowing better management of pregnancy, and timely treatment after pregnancy. The differential diagnosis between CKD and PE is sometimes difficult, but making it may be important for pregnancy management. Pregnancy is possible, even if at high risk for complications, including preterm delivery and intrauterine growth restriction, superimposed PE, and pregnancy-induced hypertension. Results in all phases are strictly dependent upon the socio-sanitary system and the availability of renal and obstetric care and, especially for preterm children, of intensive care units. Women on dialysis should be aware of the possibility of conceiving and having a successful pregnancy, and intensive dialysis (up to daily, long-hours dialysis) is the clinical choice allowing the best results. Such a choice may, however, need adaptation where access to dialysis is limited or distances are prohibitive. After kidney transplantation, pregnancies should be followed up with great attention, to minimize the risks for mother, child, and for the graft. A research agenda supporting international comparisons is highly needed to ameliorate or provide knowledge on specific kidney diseases and to develop context-adapted treatment strategies to improve pregnancy outcomes in CKD women.