Pregnancy in peritoneal dialysis and an infant with a ventricular septal defect

Fertility is markedly reduced in dialysis patients. Estimates of the frequency of conception in dialysis patients range from 1.4% per year in Saudi Arabia to 0.5% in the United States. The reasons for the rarity of pregnancy in dialysis patients are not well understood. In addition, there is a marked increase in the risk of pre-eclampsia, hydramnios, hypertension crisis, early uterine contractions and pre-term delivery. Herein, we report a 38-year-old Saudi woman with chronic renal failure who completed the full term of pregnancy uneventfully on peritoneal dialysis. Using a biocompatible dialysate solution, adequate metabolic and blood pressure control were achieved during pregnancy. The delivered infant was small for gestational age and was born with a ventricular-septal defect. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report in the literature of ventricular-septal defect in an infant born to a mother on peritoneal dialysis.