The purpose of this study was to analyze pregnancy outcomes in female lung transplant recipients. Data were collected from the National
Transplantation Pregnancy Registry via questionnaires, interviews, and hospital records. Twenty-one female lung recipients reported 30 pregnancies with 32 outcomes (1 triplet pregnancy). Outcomes included 18 live births, 5
therapeutic abortions, and 9
spontaneous abortions. No
stillbirths or
ectopic pregnancies were reported. Mean (SD) interval from transplant to conception was 3.6 (3.3) years (range, 0.1-11.3 years). Comorbid conditions during pregnancy included
hypertension in 16,
infections in 7, diabetes in 7,
preeclampsia in 1, and rejection in 5 women. Ten of the 21 recipients received a transplant because of
cystic fibrosis and accounted for 12 pregnancy outcomes (7 live births, 3
spontaneous abortions, and 2
therapeutic abortions). At last recipient contact, 13 had adequate function, 2 had reduced function, 5 recipients had died (2 with
cystic fibrosis), and 1 recipient had a nonfunctioning transplant. Mean gestational age of the newborn was 33.9 (SD, 5.2) weeks, and 11 were born preterm (<37 weeks). Mean
birthweight was 2206 (SD, 936) g and 11 were low
birthweight (<2500 g). Two
neonatal deaths were associated with a triplet pregnancy; one fetus spontaneously aborted at 14 weeks and 2 died after
preterm birth at 22 weeks. At last follow-up, all 16 surviving children were reported healthy and developing well. Successful pregnancy is possible after lung transplant, even among recipients with a diagnosis of
cystic fibrosis.