[Chronic renal failure and pregnancy]

The women who are suffering from chronic renal failure in an advanced stage have a deficient fertility but they are not sterile. Hemodialysis has improved considerably the fertility of these patients. The aim of this study is to give the results of our experience, from 1990 to 1996, about pregnancies among the uremic patients, dialysed or no and to make a literature review about this subject. We have noticed that pregnancies in the dialysis patients are rare and their evolution is precarious. We have also noticed more miscarriage or pregnancy interruption. Complications are frequent. Mothers have a high risk of hemorrhagic accident (ablatio placentae), of anemia aggravation, of thrombosis of the vascular approach and a high risk of liver anomalies (gravidic cholestasis). The fetus suffers from the maternal anemia and from chronic hypoxia. He's threatened by hydramnios in the case of bad volemic supervision. The intra uterine delayed developement and the prematurity are usual. The absence of high blood pressure and a residual renal function are representing the favourable elements of the good march of pregnancy. A therapeutic intensification is necessary in order to lead this pregnancies to a viable term. The management is heavy not only for the nephrologic, the obstetrical and the neonatal physicians, but also for the patient who is the only one who can decide to continue or to interrupt the pregnancy. It seems better to inform the patient rather than to procure her abortion by proposing her an effective and inoffensive contraceptive method meanwhile to be pregnant after renal transplantation.