Biochemical parameters, renal function, and outcome of pregnancy in kidney transplant recipient

The number of women who would like to have a baby after renal transplantation has increased. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of pregnancy on the lipid profiles and renal functions among transplantation patients as well as the maternal and fetal results of pregnancy.

We searched files of female patients who underwent renal transplantation between 1998 and 2008 to discover 31 pregnancies among 24 women.

Mean duration of dialysis and age at transplantation for the 24 cases were 22.7 ± 24.1 months (range, 0-72) and 21.2 ± 4.6 years (range, 13-34), respectively. The time between transplantation and conception as well as age at conception were 5.2 ± 1.9 and 26.4 ± 4.4 years, respectively. Creatinine levels in the second trimester were significantly lower (P = .000). Gestational bicarbonate and albumin levels were significantly lower (P = .009 and P = .001, respectively). There were significant differences between the preconception triglyceride (TG) and those in the second and third trimesters (P = .006 and P = .00, respectively). TG levels increased as trimesters progressed (P = .000). Moreover, TG levels were higher among patients taking cyclosporine. Of pregnancies that passed the first trimester, 88.4% resulted in live births. There were 23 (74.19%) live births among 31 pregnancies with a cesarean section rate of 58%. Of the cases, 16.1% delivered preterm and 19.4% of babies had low birth weights.

We believe that women with renal transplants can have healthy babies with close monitoring during pregnancy and without any effect on graft survival.