Risk factors of preterm delivery at less than 35 weeks in patients with renal transplant

To identify prenatal events associated with preterm delivery at less than 35 weeks of gestation in women with renal transplant.

A case-control study of 53 pregnancies in 42 renal transplant recipients, at a single center from 1984 to 2003 was analyzed. Preterm delivery cases (n=23) at less than 35 weeks of gestation were compared with the controls (n=30).

Preterm delivery at less than 35 weeks of gestation occurred in 23 cases (43.4%). Hypertension (> or =140/90 mmHg) prior to pregnancy (odds ratio (OR) 6.3, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.0-38.6), proteinuria (> or =0.3g/day) prior to delivery (OR 11.7, CI 2.7-51.8) and serum creatinine (> or =1.5mg/dl) prior to delivery (OR 4.4, CI 1.0-19.5) were significantly associated with increased risk of preterm delivery. Perinatal or neonatal deaths were not found. Fetal anomaly was seen in one case (polydactyly), and periventricular leukomalacia was found in two cases.

In this case-control study, hypertension prior to pregnancy, proteinuria and serum creatinine (> or =1.5mg/dl) prior to delivery were related to the occurrence of preterm delivery at less than 35 weeks in renal transplant pregnancies.