Pregnancy outcomes and complications after renal transplantation

Abstract

Introduction. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) in pregnancy poses certain risks of both gestational complications and adverse perinatal outcomes, which increase with the decline of renal function.Aim to access pregnancy outcomes in patients who underwent nephrotransplantation.Materials and methods. Retrospective study of pregnant women who gave birth at Academician V.I. Kulakov National Medical Research Center for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology in the period from 2005 to 2021: 102 pregnancies in 97 patients were analyzed: five recipients had two successful pregnancies.Results. The average age of pregnant women was 31 ± 4.03 years. In equal proportions, patients underwent related or cadaveric kidney transplantation – 52% (n = 53) and 48% (n = 49) of cases, respectively. The average delivery time was 35.5 ± 2.7 weeks. The average weight of newborns was 2545 ± 655 grams. Premature birth (PB) occurred in 47.1%, the average period of birth was 33.4 ± 2.87 weeks, of which early birth (<32 weeks) was 22.5%. The average period of pregnancy after transplantation was 5 ± 3.31 (1–18) years, this period was not associated with obstetric complications or deterioration of graft function. A significant increase in the following parameters was noted during pregnancy: serum creatinine level (p = 0.006), proteinuria (p = 0.003). The glomerular filtration rate also decreased significantly by the end of pregnancy (p = 0.011). Preeclampsia was the leading cause of decreased graft function during pregnancy (32.4%).Conclusions. In general, pregnancy outcomes after nephrotransplantation are favorable, but there is an increased risk of preeclampsia, preterm birth, including operative delivery, urinary tract infection and anemia.