Pregnancy on intensified hemodialysis: fetal surveillance and perinatal outcome

Dialysis and a plant-based diet to achieve physiologic urea levels for fetal benefit: Normal pregnancy outcome despite chronic kidney disease and hypertension

Chronic kidney disease significantly increases the risk of adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes. A growing body of evidence suggests that intensive dialysis, achieving physiologic pre-dialysis blood urea, is associated with decreased morbidity. We report a case of a successful pregnancy outcome in a 32-year-old nulliparous woman with stage 4 chronic kidney disease who underwent haemodialysis from 11 to 31 weeks' gestation for fetal benefit and concurrently trialled a plant-based diet. We hypothesise that her dietary changes assisted with urea reduction, enabling her to become dialysis independent. Although we must recognise that such pregnancies remain high risk, as demonstrated both in this case and more recent literature, advances in complex obstetric care and dialysis protocols may now give women with chronic kidney disease a realistic hope of a successful pregnancy.

Pregnancy and dialysis

The pregnancy rate of women on dialysis is still very low when compared to that of the remaining population. However, recent years have seen an increase in the success rates of these pregnancies. Among the main precautions that must be taken with pregnant women on dialysis are the maintenance of low levels of pre-dialysis urea, the adequacy of the tension profile, the control of anemia and care to avoid infections, nutritional deficits, changes in phosphorus-calcium metabolism and electrolytic fluctuations. It is also necessary to strictly monitor fetal growth and development. Pregnant women on dialysis have a higher probability of maternal and fetal complications; thus the importance of a multidisciplinary approach among nephrologists, obstetricians and pediatricians. The main objective of this study was to review the literature evidence available on pregnancy on dialysis, on the basic principles of the pathophysiology of pregnant women and their particularities in kidney disease. We will address available treatment options, benefits and risks, anticipating possible future challenges. At the end, we will present a clinical case to illustrate the topic.

Neonatal Outcomes of Infants Born to Women on Hemodialysis: A Single-Center, Case-Control Study

OBJECTIVE

 The study aimed to investigate the neonatal outcomes of infants born to mothers on hemodialysis.

STUDY DESIGN

 This retrospective, case-control, and observational study included 17 infants born to 16 mothers on dialysis in 2003 to 2016. We compared their clinical characteristics to those of 51 gestational age- and sex-matched control infants. Statistical comparisons were made between the two groups by using the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test for continuous variables and the Chi-square test or Fisher's exact test for categorical variables.

RESULTS

 Of the 16 pregnancies of mothers on dialysis, 15 (94%) deliveries were premature (<37 weeks), and 16/17 (94%) infants survived to discharge. The incidences of neonatal complications, such as intraventricular hemorrhage, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, patent ductus arteriosus, and periventricular leukomalacia, were not significantly different between the groups. However, 5/17 (29%) of the infants had congenital anomalies.

CONCLUSION

 Although infants born to mothers on dialysis have a high risk of prematurity, they do not have any additional risk of neonatal complications, except for congenital anomalies. The potential risk of congenital anomalies should be investigated further.

KEY POINTS

· Preterm birth rate among mothers on hemodialysis was 94%.. · Complications in these infants were similar to controls.. · Twenty-nine percent of infants had congenital anomalies..

Intensified hemodialysis for complicated pregnancy in a primigravida with advanced maternal age: a case report with literature review focusing on appropriate hemodialysis management during pregnancy

Background

Pregnancy in dialysis patients is rare but challenging both for nephrologists and obstetricians. Although intensified hemodialysis is effective to achieve favorable clinical outcomes in this clinical setting, the evidence concerning reliable parameters for the optimal dialysis prescription is scarce. Herein, we report a case of a primigravida with advanced maternal age who underwent a normal spontaneous vaginal delivery at full term managed by intensified hemodialysis, and discuss reliable indicators of the appropriate dialysis prescription.

Case presentation

A 39-year-old primigravida with end-stage renal disease was referred to our department for hemodialysis management during pregnancy. She had a history of multiple gynecologic disorders, including cervical dysplasia, right tubal ectopic pregnancy and spontaneous abortion; consequently, she conceived through in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer. After pregnancy was confirmed, an intensified hemodialysis schedule with weekly duration of 36 hours was employed to prevent volume overload and the accumulation of hyperosmotic substances. Utilizing maternal blood pressure, plasma atrial natriuretic peptide levels and fetal development as indicators of volume status, we incremented her dry weight by 300–400 g per week in the first and second trimester and 100–200 g per week in the third trimester, respectively. Serum urea nitrogen levels were persistently maintained below 50 mg/dL. Throughout pregnancy, fetal growth and development were within normal limits. At 38 weeks and 3 days of gestation, she delivered a healthy child vaginally without complications. To date, the child’s development has been normal, both physically and mentally.

Conclusions

Pregnancy in dialysis patients with advanced age that leads to a normal childbirth is exceptionally rare. Our case is the hemodialysis patient with the most advanced age who achieves a normal spontaneous vaginal delivery at full term. Considering that cardiovascular system and endogenous metabolism dynamically alter during pregnancy, various clinical parameters should be closely monitored to modify dialysis settings accordingly. Of note, our case suggests that plasma atrial natriuretic peptide level is a useful parameter for the appropriate dry weight. Intensified hemodialysis is an effective and reliable measure that can achieve normal pregnancy in dialysis patients, even in a primigravida with advanced maternal age.

Pregnancy on short-daily home hemodialysis using low dialysate flow rate: A new hope for the end-stage renal disease patients

INTRODUCTION

In France in 2014, there were approximately 1500 patients of reproductive age treated by dialysis. Pregnancy in these patients remains rare, however, the incidence has increased since the 2000s, with a parallel increase in the fetal survival rate. We report 2 cases of pregnancy in short-daily home hemodialysis using low dialysate flow rate.

METHODS

Short-daily hemodialysis was continued at the request of the patients. The treatment consisted in an increase of frequency and duration of hemodialysis sessions, an independent blood pressure and dry weight control supervised by nephrological monitoring twice a month and a regular obstetrics follow-up.

FINDINGS

Both patients continued hemodialysis at home until delivery and gave birth to 2 moderately premature babies, without other complication and resumed short-daily home hemodialysis fastly after delivery.

CONCLUSION

Short-daily hemodialysis using low dialysate flow rate during pregnancy seems to allow a good control of uremia and blood pressure without requiring a major increase of weekly dialysis duration. Therefore, it could become an alternative to other hemodialysis programs while allowing the patients to continue their treatment at home. However, other studies are necessary in order to define the position of this procedure during pregnancy.

Best practices on pregnancy on dialysis: the Italian Study Group on Kidney and Pregnancy

BACKGROUND

Pregnancy during dialysis is increasingly being reported and represents a debated point in Nephrology. The small number of cases available in the literature makes evidence-based counselling difficult, also given the cultural sensitivity of this issue. Hence, the need for position statements to highlight the state of the art and propose the unresolved issues for general discussion.

METHODS

A systematic analysis of the literature (MESH, Emtree and free terms on pregnancy and dialysis) was conducted and expert opinions examined (Study Group on Kidney and Pregnancy; experts involved in the management of pregnancy in dialysis in Italy 2000-2013). Questions regarded: timing of dialysis start in pregnancy; mode of treatment, i.e. peritoneal dialysis (PD) versus haemodialysis (HD); treatment schedules (for both modes); obstetric surveillance; main support therapies (anaemia, calcium-phosphate parathormone; acidosis); counselling tips.

MAIN RESULTS

Timing of dialysis start is not clear, considering also the different support therapies; successful pregnancy is possible in both PD and HD; high efficiency and strict integration with residual kidney function are pivotal in both treatments, the blood urea nitrogen test being perhaps a useful marker in this context. To date, long-hour HD has provided the best results. Strict, personalized obstetric surveillance is warranted; therapies should be aimed at avoiding vitamin B12, folate and iron deficits, and at correcting anaemia; vitamin D and calcium administration is safe and recommended. Women on dialysis should be advised that pregnancy is possible, albeit rare, with both types of dialysis treatment, and that a success rate of over 75% may be achieved. High dialysis efficiency and frequent controls are needed to optimize outcomes.

Pregnancy in end-stage renal disease patients on dialysis: how to achieve a successful delivery

Pregnancy in women with chronic kidney disease has always been considered as a challenging event both for the mother and the fetus. Over the years, several improvements have been achieved in the outcome of pregnant chronic renal patients with increasing rates of successful deliveries. To date, evidence suggests that the stage of renal failure is the main predictive factor of worsening residual kidney function and complications in pregnant women. Moreover, the possibility of success of the pregnancy depends on adequate depurative and pharmacological strategies in patients with end-stage renal disease. In this paper, we propose a review of the current literature about this topic presenting our experience as well.

[Pregnancies in hemodialysis and in patients with end-stage chronic kidney disease : epidemiology, management and prognosis]

Pregnancy in patients presenting end-stage renal disease is rare and there are currently no recommendations for the management of these patients. In hemodialysis patients, reduced fertility and medical reluctance limit the frequency of pregnancies. Although the prognosis has significantly improved, a significant risk for unfavorable maternal (pre-eclampsia, eclampsia) and fetal (pre-term birth, intrauterine growth restriction, still death) outcome still remains. Increasing dialysis dose with the initiation of daily dialysis sessions, early adaptation of medications to limit teratogenicity and management of chronic kidney disease complications (anemia, hypertension) are required. A tight coordination between nephrologists and obstetricians remains the central pillar of the care. In peritoneal dialysis, pregnancy is also possible with modification of the exchange protocol and reducing volumes.

Pregnancy outcomes according to dialysis commencing before or after conception in women with ESRD

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Pregnancy in ESRD is rare and poses substantial risk for mother and baby. This study describes a large series of pregnancies in women undergoing long-term dialysis treatment and reviews maternal and fetal outcomes. Specifically, women who had conceived before and after starting long-term dialysis are compared.

DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENT

All pregnancies reported to the Australian and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplantation Registry from 2001 to 2011 (n=77), following the introduction of specific parenthood data collection, were analyzed.

RESULTS

Between 2001 and 2011, there were 77 pregnancies among 73 women. Of these, 53 pregnancies were in women who conceived after long-term dialysis was established and 24 pregnancies occurred before dialysis began. The overall live birth rate (after exclusion of elective terminations) was 73%. In pregnancies reaching 20 weeks gestation, the live birth rate was 82%. Women who conceived before dialysis commenced had significantly higher live birth rates (91% versus 63%; P=0.03), but infants had similar birthweight and gestational age. This difference in live birth rate was primarily due to higher rates of early pregnancy loss before 20 weeks in women who conceived after dialysis was established. In pregnancies that reached 20 weeks or more, the live birth rate was higher in women with conception before dialysis commenced (91% versus 76%; P=0.28). Overall, the median gestational age was 33.8 weeks (interquartile range, 30.6-37.6 weeks) and median birthweight was 1750 g (interquartile range, 1130-2417 g). More than 40% of pregnancies reached >34 weeks' gestation; prematurity at <28 weeks was 11.4% and 28-day neonatal survival rate was 98%.

CONCLUSIONS

Women with kidney disease who start long-term dialysis after conception have superior live birth rates compared with those already established on dialysis at the time of conception, although these pregnancies remain high risk.

End-stage renal disease and pregnancy

Pregnancy in patients with ESRD is rare and remains especially challenging. Because endocrine abnormalities and sexual dysfunction decrease fertility, conception rates have been remarkably low in this patient population. Moreover, when pregnancy does occur, hypertension, preeclampsia, anemia, intrauterine growth restriction, preterm delivery, stillbirth, and other complications can decrease the rate of a successful outcome. However, recent experiences with intensive hemodialysis managed by a multidisciplinary team are encouraging with respect to better overall outcomes for mothers and infants. In this article, we discuss the main causes of decreased fertility in dialysis-dependent women, review outcomes and complications of pregnancy among dialysis patients with a special focus on recent intensive hemodialysis data, and summarize the current best strategy to manage pregnant women on dialysis.

Pregnancy in end stage renal disease

The ovulatory menstrual cycle is known to be affected on multiple levels in women with advanced renal disease. Menstrual irregularities, sexual dysfunction, and infertility worsen in parallel with the renal disease. Pregnancy in women with ESRD on dialysis is therefore uncommon. Furthermore, when pregnancy does occur, it can prove hazardous to both mother and baby owing to a multitude of potential complications including accelerated hypertension and preeclampsia, poor fetal growth, anemia, and polyhydramnios. Data are emerging, however, to suggest that pregnancy while on intensified renal replacement regimens may result in better pregnancy outcomes, and emerging trends include the decreased rate of therapeutic abortions probably reflecting a change in counseling practices over time. Nevertheless, a pregnant woman on intensive dialysis requires meticulous follow-up by a dedicated team including nephrology, obstetrics, and a full multidisciplinary staff. In this article, we will address fertility issues in young women with ESRD, review pregnancy outcomes in women on both hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis, and provide suggestions for the management of the pregnant women on intensive hemodialysis.

Update on pregnancy in chronic kidney disease

The occurrence of pregnancy in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) has been considered a dangerous event both for the mother and for the fetus. However, increasing evidence shows that the stage of CKD is the leading factor that can predict possible acceleration in the declining of renal function and complications of pregnancy. This review summarizes recent data on pregnancy in patients with CKD, dialysis and kidney transplantation.

Obstetric outcomes in women with end-stage renal disease on chronic dialysis: a review

Pregnancies in women on chronic dialysis for end-stage renal disease are high risk, but outcomes appear to have improved with increasing experience and advances in dialysis care. This paper reviews the existing data on outcomes in such pregnancies to enable evidence-based preconception counselling and anticipation of antenatal complications.

Intradialytic hyperalimentation as adjuvant support in pregnant hemodialysis patients: case report and review of the literature

Pregnancy in chronic dialysis patients is unusual and associated with many complications. Infants are often born both prematurely and small for gestational age. We report a case of a 36-year-old diabetic hemodialysis patient G4P3 who had prolonged hyperemesis gravidarum, for whom intradialytic parenteral nutrition (IDPN) was started at week 14 and continued throughout her pregnancy. She delivered a 3.5-kg baby girl at the 36th week of gestation by cesarean section. We discuss the use of IDPN as adjunct therapy for pregnant dialysis patients.

Pregnancy in dialysis patients: is the evidence strong enough to lead us to change our counseling policy?

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Although successful pregnancy is rare, results attained with higher dialysis efficiency and the spread of dialysis to different cultural and religious settings are changing the panorama. In this study, we systematically review the recent literature (2000 through 2008) on pregnancy in dialysis.

DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS

Medline on OVID was searched in November 2008, with MESH and free terms on pregnancy and chronic kidney disease or dialysis; limits were human subjects and English-language articles. Case reports were excluded to minimize publication bias. The final selection and extraction of data were performed in duplicate.

RESULTS

From 2840 references, 241 full-text articles were retrieved; eight fulfilled the selection criteria, and two were added from reference lists. In the 10 studies (nine of 10 monocentric), 90 pregnancies were observed in 78 patients (range of cases five to 15). The studies were heterogeneous for definition of outcomes, duration (2 to 16 yr), period (1988 through 1998 to 2000 through 2006), age (25 to 35 yr), and support and dialysis therapy. Daily dialysis was frequently used; type of treatment, membranes, and flows varied widely. Hypertension and anemia were frequent concerns for the mothers. Intrauterine deaths, hydramnios, and small-for-gestational-age or preterm infants were frequent. The possibility of a healthy offspring ranged from 50 to 100% (overall 76.25%).

CONCLUSIONS

Evidence on pregnancy in dialysis is heterogeneous; however, the growing number of reports worldwide and the improving results suggest that we should reconsider our counseling policy, which only rarely includes pregnancy in dialysis patients.

Successful pregnancies on nocturnal home hemodialysis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Women of childbearing age on conventional hemodialysis (CHD) have decreased fertility when compared with the general population. Even in women who conceived, maternal morbidity and fetal mortality remained elevated. We hypothesized that nocturnal hemodialysis (NHD) (3 to 6 sessions per week, 6 to 8 h per treatment), by augmenting uremic clearance, leads to a more hospitable maternal environment and therefore superior outcomes in fertility and pregnancy compared with CHD.

DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, AND MEASUREMENTS

This is a descriptive cohort study of all female patients achieving pregnancy and delivering a live infant while on NHD at the University Health Network, St. Michael's Hospital, and Humber River Regional Hospital from 2001 to 2006 in Toronto, Canada. Our primary objective was to describe maternal and fetal outcomes in addition to the changes in biochemical parameters after conception in our cohort.

RESULTS

Our cohort included five patients (age range, 31 to 37 yr) who had seven pregnancies while on NHD and delivered six live infants. All had previously been on CHD, but none conceived during that time. In all patients, the amount of hemodialysis was increased (from a weekly mean of 36 +/- 10 to 48 +/- 5 h; P < 0.01) after pregnancy was diagnosed. Mean predialysis blood urea and mean arterial BP were maintained within normal physiological parameters. The mean gestational age of the cohort was 36.2 +/- 3 wk and the mean birth weight was 2417.5 +/- 657 g. The maternal and fetal complications observed in the cohort included intrauterine growth restriction or small for gestational age (n = 2), preterm delivery (<32 wk) (n = 1), and shortened cervix threatened labor (n = 1). Anemia was accentuated during pregnancy, and intravenous iron and erythropoietin requirements were increased. To maintain normal physiological indices for plasma phosphate, an augmented dialysate phosphate supplementation regimen was required.

CONCLUSIONS

NHD may allow for improved fertility. Delivering a live infant at a mature gestational age is feasible for patients on NHD. Our cohort tended to have fewer maternal and fetal complications compared with historical controls. Hemoglobin and phosphate levels must be monitored with treatment adjusted accordingly.