Parenthood Posttransplantation: 50 Years Later

Pregnancy after heart and lung transplantation

Patients awaiting transplantation should be counseled regarding posttransplant contraception and the potential adverse outcomes associated with posttransplant conception. Pregnancy should be avoided for at least 1-2 years post transplant to minimize the risks to allograft function and fetal well-being. Transplant patients, particularly lung transplant recipients, have an increased risk of maternal and neonatal pregnancy-related complications, including prematurity and low birth weight, postpartum graft loss, and long-term morbidity and mortality compared to other solid-organ recipients. Therefore, careful monitoring by a specialized transplant team is crucial. Maintenance of immunosuppression is recommended, except for mycophenolate and mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors (mTORi), which should be replaced before conception. Immunosuppressants must be regularly monitored and dosing adjusted to avoid graft rejection. Monitoring during labor is mandatory and epidural anesthesia recommended. Vaginal delivery should be standard and cesarean delivery only performed for obstetric reasons. Breastfeeding poses risks of neonatal exposure to immunosuppressants and is generally contraindicated.

Pregnancy after cardiac transplantation

More women are reporting pregnancy following heart transplantation. Although successful outcomes have been reported for the mother, transplanted heart, and newborn, such pregnancies should be considered high risk. Hypertension, preeclampsia, and infection should be treated. Vaginal delivery is recommended unless cesarean section is obstetrically necessary. Most outcomes are live births, and long-term follow-up of children show most are healthy and developing well. Maternal survival, independent of pregnancy-related events, should be part of prepregnancy counseling.