Pregnancy in women on chronic dialysis. A single-center experience with 17 cases

Pregnancy in Patients Receiving Home Dialysis

Pregnancy is an important goal for many women with CKD or kidney failure, but important barriers exist, particularly as CKD stage progresses. Women with advanced CKD often have a limited fertility window and may miss their opportunity for a pregnancy if advised to defer until after kidney transplantation. Pregnancy rates in women with advanced kidney failure or receiving dialysis remain low, and despite the improved outcomes in recent years, these pregnancies remain high risk for both mother and baby with high rates of preterm birth due to both maternal and fetal complications. However, with increased experience and advances in models of care, this paradigm may be changing. Intensive hemodialysis regimens have been shown to improve both fertility and live birth rates. Increasing dialysis intensity and individualizing dialysis prescription to residual renal function, to achieve highly efficient clearances, has resulted in improved live birth rates, longer gestations, and higher birth weights. Intensive hemodialysis regimens, particularly nocturnal and home-based dialysis, are therefore a potential option for women with kidney failure desiring pregnancy. Global initiatives for the promotion and uptake of home-based dialysis are gaining momentum and may have advantages in this unique patient population. In this article, we review the epidemiology and outcomes of pregnancy in hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis recipients. We discuss the role home-based therapies may play in helping women achieve more successful pregnancies and outline the principles and practicalities of management of dialysis in pregnancy with a focus on delivery of home modalities. The experience and perspectives of a patient are also shared.

Chronic kidney disease, pregnancy and haemodialysis: Case reports from a single centre in Kenya and literature review

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end stage kidney disease are prevalent even in women of reproductive age. These are known to reduce fertility and successful pregnancy. There are chances of conception even in advanced CKD, though laden with complications. We present two cases of women who conceived in advanced CKD and were on haemodialysis in a tertiary hospital in Kenya, and review of literature.

Neonatal Outcomes of Infants Born to Women on Hemodialysis: A Single-Center, Case-Control Study

OBJECTIVE

 The study aimed to investigate the neonatal outcomes of infants born to mothers on hemodialysis.

STUDY DESIGN

 This retrospective, case-control, and observational study included 17 infants born to 16 mothers on dialysis in 2003 to 2016. We compared their clinical characteristics to those of 51 gestational age- and sex-matched control infants. Statistical comparisons were made between the two groups by using the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test for continuous variables and the Chi-square test or Fisher's exact test for categorical variables.

RESULTS

 Of the 16 pregnancies of mothers on dialysis, 15 (94%) deliveries were premature (<37 weeks), and 16/17 (94%) infants survived to discharge. The incidences of neonatal complications, such as intraventricular hemorrhage, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, patent ductus arteriosus, and periventricular leukomalacia, were not significantly different between the groups. However, 5/17 (29%) of the infants had congenital anomalies.

CONCLUSION

 Although infants born to mothers on dialysis have a high risk of prematurity, they do not have any additional risk of neonatal complications, except for congenital anomalies. The potential risk of congenital anomalies should be investigated further.

KEY POINTS

· Preterm birth rate among mothers on hemodialysis was 94%.. · Complications in these infants were similar to controls.. · Twenty-nine percent of infants had congenital anomalies..

Dialysis on Pregnancy: An Overview

Pregnancy rates in women on dialysis have increased in the last decades, thus making it a topic of growing interest. The rarity of this event is predominantly due to fertility problems and to the high rates of pregnancy failure including stillbirth, fetal, and neonatal deaths. We conducted a narrative review of existing literature in order to analyze the major issues about pregnancy on dialysis to give the reader a fully updated perspective about this topic which, even if not common, is becoming more and more frequent. Even if recently acquired knowledge has improved diagnosis and treatment of dialysis pregnancies focusing on several aspects, pregnancy on dialysis remains a great challenge for obstetricians and should be managed by a multidisciplinary expertise team. Dialysis in pregnancy may be necessary for women previously affected by end stage renal disease (ESRD) becoming pregnant, or in case of acute renal injury presenting for the first time during gestation or, again, in case of existent renal pathology worsening during pregnancy and requiring dialysis. Although some evidence suggests that more intensive dialysis regimens are correlated with better obstetric outcomes, the optimal therapeutic protocol still remains to be established.

Consecutive Spontaneous Triplet and Twin Pregnancies in a Woman After Renal Transplantation

BACKGROUND

There are numerous reports of successful pregnancies following kidney transplantation. However, little information is available regarding the management and evolution of multiple pregnancies in a kidney-transplanted woman.

CASE REPORT

We report the case of successful consecutive spontaneous triplet and twin pregnancies in a woman who had undergone kidney transplantation at 30 years of age, 12 years before the first pregnancy, as a result of end-stage renal disease secondary to chronic glomerulonephritis due to diffuse proliferative lupus nephritis. An integrated multidisciplinary team closely followed progress during the pregnancies. Maternal complications during the pregnancies included light proteinuria, controlled hypertension, and anemia. No graft rejection episodes or deterioration of renal function was noted during the pregnancies or after the deliveries.

CONCLUSION

Currently, more than 2 years after her last pregnancy, the mother and all 5 babies are healthy and the mother's renal transplant function is normal.

Changing Dialysis Modality during Pregnancy: A Case Report

Pregnancy in patients with end-stage renal disease is rare, with a paucity of management guidelines in the literature. Various hemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD) protocols have been used to successfully manage pregnancy in this population; however, there is a growing body of evidence that the best maternal and fetal outcomes are associated with intensified, high-dose HD. The optimal timing of transition from PD to HD is not known for prevalent PD patients who become pregnant. We report the case of a 32-year-old aboriginal female who became pregnant while being treated with chronic PD. She was converted to intensive HD early in the second trimester and underwent a planned caesarian section at 36 weeks with excellent outcomes for mother and child.

Dialysis in pregnancy

Although kidney disease impacts on fertility, increasing numbers of pregnancies are reported in women on dialysis. Despite a trend of increasing live birth rates over recent decades, pregnancies on dialysis remain high risk with increased rates of adverse pregnancy outcomes including pregnancy loss, pre-eclampsia, pre-term delivery, low birth weight and higher levels of neonatal care. This article describes the prevalence of dialysis and pregnancy in women of childbearing age, with relevant information regarding the effects of end-stage renal disease on fertility in women. Pregnancy outcomes for women on dialysis are summarised, including their association with dialysis intensity. A guide to pre-pregnancy counselling, and the management of pregnancy on dialysis is provided. Factors that inform the decision to commence dialysis in pregnancy are examined. The advantages and disadvantages of peritoneal dialysis in pregnancy are discussed.

Risk Factors for Adverse Fetal Outcome in Hemodialysis Pregnant Women

Introduction

Pregnancy in women on dialysis is associated with a higher risk of adverse events, and the best care for this population remains to be established.

Methods

In this series, we aimed to identify factors associated with the risk of adverse fetal outcomes among 93 pregnancies in women on hemodialysis. Dialysis dose was initially assigned according to the presence of residual diuresis, body weight, and years on dialysis. Subsequent adjustments on dialysis dose were performed according to several parameters.

Results

The overall successful delivery rate was 89.2%, with a dialysis regimen of 2.6 ± 0.7 h/d, 15.4 ± 4.0 h/wk, and mean weekly standard urea Kt/V of 3.3 ± 0.6. In the logistic models, preeclampsia, lupus, primigravida, and average midweek blood urea nitrogen (BUN) level were positively related to the risk of a composite outcome of perinatal death or extreme prematurity, whereas polyhydramnios was inversely related to it. In multivariable linear regression, preeclampsia, polyhydramnios, primigravida, average midweek BUN, and residual diuresis remained significantly and independently related to fetal weight, which is a surrogate marker of fetal outcome. An average midweek BUN of 35 mg/dl was the best value for discriminating the composite outcome, and BUN ≥35 mg/dl was associated with a significant difference in a Kaplan-Meier curve (P = 0.01).

Conclusion

Our results showed that a good fetal outcome could be reached and that preeclampsia, lupus, primigravida, residual diuresis, polyhydramnios, and hemodialysis dose were important variables associated with this outcome. In addition, we suggested that a midweek BUN <35 mg/dl might be used as a target for adjusting dialysis dose until hard data were generated.

Successful multigravid pregnancy in a 42-year-old patient on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis and a review of the literature

Background

For peritoneal dialysis patients, the likelihood of conception is low and the probability of getting through the pregnancy successfully is even lower. Almost 60 years after the first reported case of a successful pregnancy in a dialysis patient, many issues concerning pregnancy in dialysis patients remain unresolved. Our patient’s pregnancy is considered high risk as she has end stage renal failure and falls in the category of advance maternal age for pregnancy. We describe here the course of her uneventful pregnancy which we hope will contribute to the overall knowledge and management of pregnancy in elderly patients receiving peritoneal dialysis.

Case presentation

We report a successful elderly multigravid pregnancy, in a patient undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). Her pregnancy was detected early and she was closely managed by the nephrologist and obstetrician. She tolerated the same PD prescription throughout 36 weeks of pregnancy with daily ultrafiltration of 500-1500mls. Her blood pressure remained well controlled without the need of any antihypertensive medication. Her total Kt/V ranged from 1.93 to 2.73. Her blood parameters remained stable and she was electively admitted at 36 weeks for a trans-peritoneal lower segment caesarian section and bilateral tubal ligation.

Conclusions

At the age of 42, our case is the oldest reported successful pregnancy in a patient on peritoneal dialysis. With careful counselling and meticulous follow up, we have shown that woman in the early stage of end stage renal failure can successfully deliver a full term baby without any complications. Therefore, these women should not be discourage from conceiving even if they are in advanced maternal age for pregnancy.

The Full Spectrum of Clinical Ethical Issues in Kidney Failure. Findings of a Systematic Qualitative Review

BACKGROUND

When treating patients with kidney failure, unavoidable ethical issues often arise. Current clinical practice guidelines some of them, but lack comprehensive information about the full range of relevant ethical issues in kidney failure. A systematic literature review of such ethical issues supports medical professionalism in nephrology, and offers a solid evidential base for efforts that aim to improve ethical conduct in health care.

AIM

To identify the full spectrum of clinical ethical issues that can arise for patients with kidney failure in a systematic and transparent manner.

METHOD

A systematic review in Medline (publications in English or German between 2000 and 2014) and Google Books (with no restrictions) was conducted. Ethical issues were identified by qualitative text analysis and normative analysis.

RESULTS

The literature review retrieved 106 references that together mentioned 27 ethical issues in clinical care of kidney failure. This set of ethical issues was structured into a matrix consisting of seven major categories and further first and second-order categories.

CONCLUSIONS

The systematically-derived matrix helps raise awareness and understanding of the complexity of ethical issues in kidney failure. It can be used to identify ethical issues that should be addressed in specific training programs for clinicians, clinical practice guidelines, or other types of policies dealing with kidney failure.

Pregnancy in end-stage renal disease patients on dialysis: how to achieve a successful delivery

Pregnancy in women with chronic kidney disease has always been considered as a challenging event both for the mother and the fetus. Over the years, several improvements have been achieved in the outcome of pregnant chronic renal patients with increasing rates of successful deliveries. To date, evidence suggests that the stage of renal failure is the main predictive factor of worsening residual kidney function and complications in pregnant women. Moreover, the possibility of success of the pregnancy depends on adequate depurative and pharmacological strategies in patients with end-stage renal disease. In this paper, we propose a review of the current literature about this topic presenting our experience as well.

[Pregnancy in chronic hemodialysis]

La survenue d'une grossesse en hémodialyse chronique (HDC) est rare, mais depuis la description du premier cas par Confortini en 1971, plusieurs observations ont été rapportées. L'hémodialyse a considérablement amélioré la fertilité de ces patientes. Nous rapportons l'expérience de douze grossesses survenues entre 1999 et 2014, chez douze patientes d’âge médian 34 ans (22-44), en hémodialyse (HD) depuis 40 mois (3-72), l’âge gestationnel moyen de diagnostic est de 16 semaines d'aménorrhée, la grossesse était compliquée dans 50% des cas par un hydramnios. Le terme moyen est de 35 semaine d'aménorrhée (SA) et l'accouchement a été réalisé dans 90% des grossesses par voie basse. Le poids moyen des nouveau-nés est de 1800g. De telles grossesses sont à haut risque du fait de la fréquence des complications. Elles devraient être contrôlées par les équipes multidisciplinaires, et la consultation prénatal ne devrait pas être négligée. L'objectif de ce travail est de rapporter notre expérience concernant la survenue d'une grossesse chez les patientes dialysées et de la confronter aux données de la littérature.

Peritoneal dialysis prescription during the third trimester of pregnancy

Management of the pregnant patient on peritoneal dialysis (PD) is potentially challenging because uterine enlargement may negatively affect catheter function and prescribed dwell volumes. Additional reports of the management of these patients are needed. Here, we describe a near-full-term delivery in a 27-year-old woman who had been on dialysis for 7 years. Peritoneal dialysis was continued during the entire pregnancy. In the third trimester, a higher delivered automated PD volume allowed for adequate clearance and control of volume status. A decision to hospitalize the patient to limit activity and facilitate the delivery of increased dialysate is believed to have contributed to the successful outcome for mother and infant. Our report discusses the management of this patient and reviews published dialysis prescriptions used during the third trimester of pregnancy in patients treated with PD.

Dialysis and pregnancy in end stage kidney disease associated with lupus nephritis

Female patients with systemic lupus erythematosus are often of childbearing age at diagnosis, and though fertility in these patients is similar to the general population, successful pregnancy remains a rare occurrence. This incidence is, however, increasing and the management of these high risk pregnancies is often further complicated by the patient's need for dialysis as a result of lupus nephritis (LN). We share our experience in managing two LN patients with successful pregnancies, one on automated peritoneal dialysis and the other on haemodialysis, as well as a review of cases in the literature.

Pregnancy in end stage renal disease

The ovulatory menstrual cycle is known to be affected on multiple levels in women with advanced renal disease. Menstrual irregularities, sexual dysfunction, and infertility worsen in parallel with the renal disease. Pregnancy in women with ESRD on dialysis is therefore uncommon. Furthermore, when pregnancy does occur, it can prove hazardous to both mother and baby owing to a multitude of potential complications including accelerated hypertension and preeclampsia, poor fetal growth, anemia, and polyhydramnios. Data are emerging, however, to suggest that pregnancy while on intensified renal replacement regimens may result in better pregnancy outcomes, and emerging trends include the decreased rate of therapeutic abortions probably reflecting a change in counseling practices over time. Nevertheless, a pregnant woman on intensive dialysis requires meticulous follow-up by a dedicated team including nephrology, obstetrics, and a full multidisciplinary staff. In this article, we will address fertility issues in young women with ESRD, review pregnancy outcomes in women on both hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis, and provide suggestions for the management of the pregnant women on intensive hemodialysis.

Update on pregnancy in chronic kidney disease

The occurrence of pregnancy in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) has been considered a dangerous event both for the mother and for the fetus. However, increasing evidence shows that the stage of CKD is the leading factor that can predict possible acceleration in the declining of renal function and complications of pregnancy. This review summarizes recent data on pregnancy in patients with CKD, dialysis and kidney transplantation.

Obstetric outcomes in women with end-stage renal disease on chronic dialysis: a review

Pregnancies in women on chronic dialysis for end-stage renal disease are high risk, but outcomes appear to have improved with increasing experience and advances in dialysis care. This paper reviews the existing data on outcomes in such pregnancies to enable evidence-based preconception counselling and anticipation of antenatal complications.

Pregnancy in dialysis patients: is the evidence strong enough to lead us to change our counseling policy?

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Although successful pregnancy is rare, results attained with higher dialysis efficiency and the spread of dialysis to different cultural and religious settings are changing the panorama. In this study, we systematically review the recent literature (2000 through 2008) on pregnancy in dialysis.

DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS

Medline on OVID was searched in November 2008, with MESH and free terms on pregnancy and chronic kidney disease or dialysis; limits were human subjects and English-language articles. Case reports were excluded to minimize publication bias. The final selection and extraction of data were performed in duplicate.

RESULTS

From 2840 references, 241 full-text articles were retrieved; eight fulfilled the selection criteria, and two were added from reference lists. In the 10 studies (nine of 10 monocentric), 90 pregnancies were observed in 78 patients (range of cases five to 15). The studies were heterogeneous for definition of outcomes, duration (2 to 16 yr), period (1988 through 1998 to 2000 through 2006), age (25 to 35 yr), and support and dialysis therapy. Daily dialysis was frequently used; type of treatment, membranes, and flows varied widely. Hypertension and anemia were frequent concerns for the mothers. Intrauterine deaths, hydramnios, and small-for-gestational-age or preterm infants were frequent. The possibility of a healthy offspring ranged from 50 to 100% (overall 76.25%).

CONCLUSIONS

Evidence on pregnancy in dialysis is heterogeneous; however, the growing number of reports worldwide and the improving results suggest that we should reconsider our counseling policy, which only rarely includes pregnancy in dialysis patients.

Pregnancy in patients on chronic dialysis: a single center experience and combined analysis of reported results

OBJECTIVE(S)

Pregnancy is rare in patients on chronic dialysis, with only a 30-50% rate of successful delivery reported in a previous review article. The pregnancy outcome has improved in recent decades, but data on pregnancy outcome are limited due to the small sample size of previous case series. This study investigated the pregnancy outcome in patients on chronic dialysis over the past 15 years in a single center, and also performed a combined analysis of results of individual cases from previously reported series to obtain overall estimates of rates of successful delivery.

STUDY DESIGN

Medical records for a total of 13 pregnancies in 13 women undergoing chronic dialysis (10 on hemodialysis and 3 on peritoneal dialysis) during the period from 1990 to 2006 in our hospital were retrospectively reviewed. Data on the changes in dialysis regimen, medical complications, obstetric conditions, and perinatal problems were collected. An electronic search of PubMed identified 10 case series studies and 12 case reports published after 1990 with adequate individual information available. Pooled data from a total of 131 cases, including our patients (117 hemodialysis and 14 peritoneal dialysis), were analyzed using the chi(2)-test and the t-test to compare the rate of successful delivery and birth weight in the hemodialysis group and the peritoneal dialysis group, and in pregnancies with conception prior to and those with conception after starting dialysis.

RESULTS

Among the 10 pregnant women who decided to continue their pregnancies in our hospital, 5 delivered live newborns and 5 pregnancies ended with intra-uterine fetal demise or neonatal death. The overall rate of successful delivery was 70.9% (83 out of 117) in patients on hemodialysis and 64.2% (9/14) in patients on peritoneal dialysis. The birth weight for these groups was 1483+/-116 and 1623+/-320 g, respectively. The difference in the rates of successful delivery in these two groups was not significant (p=0.61). However, the birth weight was significantly greater in patients who conceived after than those who conceived prior to starting hemodialysis (1529+/-132 g versus 1245+/-200 g; p=0.04).

CONCLUSIONS

This study found that the outcome of pregnancy on chronic dialysis has improved in recent decades, but our study showed no significant difference in the rate of successful delivery between patients on hemodialysis and those on peritoneal dialysis.

Pregnancy and contraceptive counseling of women with chronic kidney disease and kidney transplants

Women with kidney disease of childbearing age should expect proactive counseling regarding pregnancy and contraception. Discussions should include the impact of pregnancy on their kidney disease and the impact of kidney disease on maternal and fetal outcomes. However, nephrologists rarely discuss sexual dysfunction, infertility, menstrual irregularities, and contraception with their premenopausal women patients. This review will consider pregnancy-related issues to discuss when counseling women with all stages of chronic kidney disease. Issues related to contraception in women on dialysis, women with functioning kidney transplants, and those with chronic kidney disease will also be reviewed.

Management of the pregnant chronic dialysis patient

Although unusual, pregnancy in chronic dialysis patients does occur. In fact, the percent of successful pregnancies in women on chronic dialysis may be increasing. But unfortunately, the rates for premature delivery, neonatal death, maternal hypertension, and preeclampsia in the chronic pregnant dialysis patient are high. Consequently, to have a successful outcome for the pregnant dialysis patient, close collaboration between the patient, her nephrologists, high-risk obstetrician, neonatalogist, dialysis nurse, and nutritionist is required. This article reviews and discusses the need for meticulous attention to anemia management, blood pressure control, fluid status, hemodialysis, and peritoneal dialysis prescription, nutrition, and fetal monitoring in the pregnant chronic dialysis patient.

Pregnancy on intensified hemodialysis: fetal surveillance and perinatal outcome

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the effect of intensive fetal surveillance via Doppler ultrasound and fetal non-stress test on the perinatal outcome of pregnant women undergoing an intensified hemofiltration scheme.

METHODS

Five consecutive pregnancies of women undergoing intensified hemodialysis were analyzed due to the following parameters: maternal background, hemodialysis schedule during pregnancy, blood pressure, occurrence of fetal complications, occurrence of obstetric complications, gestational week at delivery, mode of delivery, and newborn outcome and follow-up.

RESULTS

All pregnancies resulted in a live birth, mean gestational age was 32 weeks. Intrauterine growth restriction occurred in 4 fetuses, pathological umbilical artery flow velocity waveforms in 2. The mean birth weight was 1,764 g (range 1,274-2,465 g). Cesarean section was performed in 3 patients because of fetal distress. None of the patients developed severe complications like pre-eclampsia.

CONCLUSIONS

Although intensified dialysis enables the maintenance of stable uteroplacental and fetal perfusion, intensive fetal monitoring is mandatory to reduce perinatal morbidity and mortality in pregnant women on maintenance dialysis.

Obstetric outcomes in women with end-stage renal failure requiring renal dialysis

OBJECTIVE

To study obstetric outcomes in women with end-stage renal failure undergoing chronic renal dialysis.

METHODS

A retrospective review of the database from the High-Risk Pregnancy Clinic at Singapore General Hospital, Singapore.

RESULTS

From 1995 to 2004, 7 women treated with chronic renal dialysis had a total of 11 pregnancies. There were 2 pregnancy losses at previable gestation ages and 9 live births. Median gestational age at delivery was 31 weeks, and mean birth weight was 1390 g. Seven newborns had a low birth weight and 5 required neonatal intensive care. Severe hypertension occurred in 4 women for a total of 7 pregnancies. Other complications included polyhydramnios (n=2), preterm prelabor rupture of membranes (n=2), obstetric cholestasis (n=2), postpartum hemorrhage (n=1), thrombosis of the arteriovenous fistula (n=2), postpartum peritonitis (n=1), and fetal anomaly (n=1). There were no maternal deaths.

CONCLUSION

Such pregnancies are high-risk, particularly because of maternal hypertension and prematurity. They should be managed by multidisciplinary teams, and prepregnancy counseling should not be neglected.

Pregnancy during hemodialysis: perinatal outcome in our cases

The perinatal outcome of patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis has been improved in recent years. In this report we review the treatment and outcome of seven pregnancies in women undergoing chronic hemodialysis before and during pregnancy between 2000 and 2002. The hemodialysis schedule was increased from 4 hours twice weekly to 4 hours four to six times weekly. Hemodialysis was performed using a high-flux dialyzer with volume-controlled ultrafiltration. The patients were followed in close collaboration between the obstetrician and the nephrologist. Monitoring of fetal well-being was started after 24 weeks' gestation, using cardiotocography by a nonstress test twice weekly and by weekly Doppler flow measurements. All patients underwent uterine contraction monitoring immediately after the dialysis. The mean gestational age at delivery was 32 weeks (range, 26 to 36 weeks). The causes of preterm delivery were premature contractions, premature rupture of membranes, preeclampsia, and intrauterine growth restriction. The outcomes were two pregnancies complicated by polyhydramnios and six pregnancies, that resulted in live births, all of whom survived. There was one neonatal death. The mean newborn birthweight was 1400 g (range, 420 to 2640 g) and the 1- and 5-minute Apgar scores ranged from 2/8 and 4/10, respectively one infant at 29-weeks gestation experienced respiratory distress syndrome but did well after 12 days. Cesarean section was performed in four pregnancies. The mothers were discharged on postoperative days 3 to 5. It is well known that the management of pregnant patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis is difficult. However, advances in dialysis, obstetrics, and neonatal care have improved the outcomes.

Increased delivery of haemodialysis assists successful pregnancy outcome in end-stage renal failure

Pregnancy in patients on maintenance dialysis is rare, with few cases of successful live births reported in Australian women on dialysis at the time of conception. Increasing dialysis delivery may improve outcomes for both mother and foetus in this high-risk situation. We report a case of successful pregnancy outcome with the application of an intensive dialysis regimen.

Dialysis in pregnant women with chronic kidney disease

Pregnancy occurs uncommonly in women with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and fetal outcome tends to be poor, with high rates of prematurity and mortality. Dialysis, by complementing residual renal function, may improve fetal outcome in pregnant women with CKD. Although there are no prospective or randomized trials that examine the relationship between dialysis and fetal outcome, there is evidence that increased solute clearance, by early initiation of or intensification of dialysis, is beneficial for the health of the fetus. Case reports and observational studies from the United States, Belgium, and Saudi Arabia suggest that there is a relationship between successful pregnancy and the amount of dialysis received. Unfortunately, in these reports, measures of residual renal function and dialysis adequacy are lacking or incomplete. Nonetheless, compared to nonpregnant patients with CKD, in pregnant women with CKD it is reasonable to begin dialysis at a higher level of residual renal function in the hope of improving fetal outcome.

Pregnancy during chronic hemodialysis: a single dialysis-unit experience with five cases

BACKGROUND

Pregnancy is uncommon in women with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) requiring chronic dialysis. An increasing number of successful pregnancies in women in hemodialytic treatment have been recently reported but few institutions experienced more than one or two cases of pregnancy.

METHODS

Between 1988-1998 five pregnancies in patients receiving hemodialysis were observed in our center. Medical records of these patients were reviewed.

RESULTS

At the conception the mean age was 27 years. One patient started dialysis after conception. All patients received bicarbonate dialysis. Three patients were dialyzed six times per week, the other two patients three-four times per week. The dry weight was increased progressively; on average of 1.2 +/- 0.5 kg in the first trimester and of 0.5 kg per week since the second trimester. The predialysis BUN was maintained between 50-100 mg/dL (17.85-35,70 mmol/L) during the pregnancy. Four patients were treated with erythropoietin to maintain hematocrit between 30-35%. Erythropoietin related-complications were not observed. Polyhydramnios was observed in all cases. All deliveries occurred before term. The mean gestational age of infants was 28.6 +/- 4 weeks. Four out of five pregnancies resulted in liveborn infants. Two infants had an Apgar score of zero. All neonates were of low birth weight (1,431 +/- 738 g) with percentile of birth weight in the normal range. No one was small for date.

CONCLUSION

A successful pregnancy is possible in women on chronic dialysis. Prematurity occurs frequently as well as low weight birth leading to increased perinatal morbidity and mortality.

Pregnancy in women who undergo long-term hemodialysis

OBJECTIVE

Pregnancy is rare in women who require long-term hemodialysis, and pregnancy outcome with a live birth has a low success rate. The purpose of this study was to describe the treatment of pregnancy and the outcome in a series of patients undergoing long-term hemodialysis treatment.

STUDY DESIGN

A total of 15 women who were undergoing long-term hemodialysis treatment who had 18 pregnancies during the period from 1990 to 2000 were included in this study. All the women had been undergoing hemodialysis for a mean of 5.3 years before pregnancy, except for one woman who began hemodialysis at 16 weeks of gestation. When conception was confirmed, the risks of pregnancy were explained to the couple and to the medical team. Almost all hemodialysis were performed with a high-flux dialyzer and with volume-controlled ultrafiltration. During pregnancy the hemodialysis schedule was increased to 4 hours 4 to 6 times weekly, with a blood flow rate of 250 to 300 mL/min and a dialysate flow rate of 500 to 600 mL/min. Data on changes in dialysis regimen, biochemistry, blood pressure control, use of erythropoietin, medical complications, obstetric regimen, and perinatal problems were collected.

RESULTS

Elective abortion was performed in 5 of the 18 pregnancies. Thirteen pregnancies were treated, with 12 live births, of which 9 infants survived. There was 1 intrauterine fetal death and 3 neonatal deaths. No fetal anomaly was detected. The mean gestational age at delivery was 32 weeks (range, 23-36 weeks). The mean newborn weight was 1542 g (range, 512-1660 g), with intrauterine growth restriction in 7 of the 9 cases. Anemia was treated with recombinant human erythropoietin and/or transfusion in all cases. Of the 15 women undergoing hemodialysis treatment, elevated blood pressure was complicated in 13 pregnancies, in which 7 were treated with antihypertensive drugs. Polyhydramnios occurred in 6 of 9 surviving live births and was partially relieved after hemodialysis. Cesarean delivery was performed in 6 of 13 deliveries. All of the women recovered after delivery to their prepregnancy dialysis therapy levels.

CONCLUSION

Although pregnancy remains risky in women who are undergoing long-term dialysis, advances in dialysis, obstetrics, and neonatal treatment have led to an improved success rate. Our data from 1990 to 2000 showed a 60% success rate.

Maternal medical disease: risk of antepartum fetal death

Although certain maternal medical conditions increase the risk of antepartum fetal death, improvements in medical and obstetric care have decreased the likelihood of stillbirth. This article examines the current stillbirth rates reported in pregnancies complicated by common medical diseases. The reported stillbirth rates are expressed as the number of stillbirths occurring at > or = 20 weeks of gestation per 1,000 births in patients with the condition. Overall, about 10% of all fetal deaths are related to maternal medical illnesses such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity, systemic lupus erythematosus, chronic renal disease, thyroid disorders, and cholestasis of pregnancy. The early recognition of maternal medical diseases provides an opportunity for increased surveillance and interventions that may lead to more favorable pregnancy outcomes.

Perinatal and infant outcome of pregnant patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis

Recently, perinatal outcome in patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis has been improved. But the conditions that will most likely result in successful pregnancy are still obscure. We retrospectively analyzed 15 pregnant patients who were undergoing chronic hemodialysis before pregnancy treated in our perinatal center. We divided these 15 cases into 2 groups: one group of 11 patients whose infants survived and the other group of 4 patients whose infants died 6 h to 8 months after birth due to prematurity. The rate of successful pregnancies having a surviving infant was 73.3% (11/15). We compared the maternal conditions and the progress of pregnancy in the 2 groups. Significant differences (p<0.01) were seen as follows. The patients in the group whose infants survived underwent hemodialysis for a shorter term before pregnancy (1-6 years), most of them (9/11) could produce urine (> or =50 ml/day), and the period of gestation was extended (33.3+/-4.7 weeks), so the infants were heavier (1,782.9+/-678.3 g). All the patients who underwent more than 9 years of hemodialysis could not have a surviving infant. From this we can assume that the shorter the period of dialysis before pregnancy, the better the condition is that is likely to result in women giving birth and the better is their infant's chance of survival.

Successful obstetric outcome after simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplantation

A 34-year-old woman became pregnant two years after having a simultaneous pancreas and kidney (SPK) transplantation, necessitated by type 1 diabetes and end-stage renal disease. The pregnancy was uneventful until 30 weeks' gestation, when she developed pancreatitis and a worsening of mild hypertension. A healthy 1700 g boy was delivered by caesarean section at 34 weeks' gestation. This is the first report of a successful pregnancy after SPK transplantation in Australia.