Diabetic pregnancy following renal transplantation

Renal transplantation for diabetic nephropathy prolongs survival and the return of fertility makes pregnancy possible. We describe a successful pregnancy in a 38-year-old diabetic renal transplant recipient despite blindness, gangrenous toes, cardiac impairment, and both sensory and autonomic neuropathy. Renal function remained stable throughout the pregnancy which was complicated by supine hypertension, postural hypotension and increasing proteinuria. Fetal distress and increasing proteinuria precipitated delivery by Caesarean section at 29 weeks of a female infant weighting 1.1 kg. Following delivery, hypertension improved, gangrene resolved, proteinuria decreased, and renal function remained stable. Pregnancy in long-standing diabetic patients with renal transplants, although hazardous, may be successful yet the maternal morbidity and mortality makes them inadvisable.