Pregnancy-related deaths and complications in women with vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome

The purpose of this study was to characterize the nature and magnitude of pregnancy risks in women with vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

Pregnancy-related death rate was determined by a review of pedigrees of families with vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. Maternal morbidity was characterized through semistructured interviews with women with vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome or their next of kin.

Pregnancy-related deaths occurred in 30 of 565 deliveries (5.3%). There was no difference in Kaplan-Meier survival curves between parous versus nulliparous women with vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. Interviews with 39 women indicated that 46% of deliveries were uncomplicated. The most common pregnancy-related complications were third-/fourth-degree lacerations (20%) and preterm delivery (19%). Life-threatening complications occurred in 14.5% of deliveries and included arterial dissection/rupture (9.2%), uterine rupture (2.6%), and surgical complications (2.6%). There were 5 maternal deaths in 76 deliveries (6.5%).

The risk of pregnancy-related complications is increased in women with vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome compared with the general population; however, survival data indicate that pregnancy does not appear to affect overall mortality compared with nulliparous women with vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. The data were insufficient to determine whether mode or timing of delivery influenced risk of complications. Women with vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome should be engaged in a shared decision-making process when contemplating pregnancy and pregnancy management.