[Pregnancy during dialysis: experience in six patients]

The frequency of pregnancies during dialysis is increasing. This condition requires changes in the dialysis schedule and nutritional approach.

To report the experience in six patients with terminal kidney disease who became pregnant.

Retrospective review of medical records of women with terminal kidney disease in dialysis who became pregnant in a period of 27 years.

We recorded six successful pregnancies among women in hemodialysis treatment aged 32 ± 4 years. The mean dialysis-time per week was 19.5 ± 2.7 hours and Kt/V was 1.55 ± 0.17. The mean systolic blood pressure was 130 ± 13.3 mmHg. The mean packed cell volume of the group increased from 22.7% during pre-gestational stage to 30.2% during third trimester of pregnancy. All patients received an intensive treatment for anemia. The most common symptom of pregnancy was hyperemesis. The mean gestational age (GA) at diagnosis was 13.4 ± 4.7 weeks. All patients had preterm deliveries at a GA of 33 ± 1.7 weeks, and 66% of offspring were appropriate for gestational age.

A multidisciplinary approach allows high rate of successful pregnancies during hemodialysis.