Safe for Mother, Baby, and Graft? Pregnancy After Liver Transplant: A Single-Center Experience.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Although fertility is reduced in patients with liver cirrhosis, recovery of menstrual cycle is acquired after liver transplantation (LT) in most patients, and pregnancy in LT recipients is not unusual. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of pregnancies in LT recipients in our center.

METHODS:

Data of 24 pregnancies in 14 LT recipients were collected and statistically analyzed. Demographic and clinical data were documented in each trimester of pregnancy and thereafter. The analysis was conducted in accordance with the 1975 Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the ethics committee of the University Hospital Essen.

RESULTS:

Median patient age was 21.5 years (range, 2-32 years) at LT and 31 years (range, 19-41 years) at conception. Median time between LT and conception was 126 months (range, 38-332 months), and median gestation time of completed pregnancies was 38 weeks (range, 29-40 weeks). Seven pregnancies terminated in abortions (29%). Of all deliveries, 6 resulted in preterm births (35%) with median gestation time of 34.5 weeks (range, 29-37 weeks). Gestational diabetes mellitus was the most common maternal complication, occurring in 4 patients (17%). One patient suffered from preeclampsia (4%). Pregnancy-induced hypertension or acute cellular rejection was not reported in our cohort. None of the children had serious complications.

CONCLUSIONS:

Our data show favorable outcome for pregnancy in LT recipients for mother and offspring. However, these patients are still at risk, particularly regarding high rates of preterm delivery, and preconception counseling and multidisciplinary monitoring are crucial to manage possible complications.

• Authors: Jassin Rashidi-Alavijeh, Alexandra Frey, Anne Hörster, Buu-Phuc Nguyen, Antonella Iannaccone, Fuat Saner, Christian M Lange, Katharina Willuweit
• Journal: Transplantation proceedings (Transplant Proc) Vol. 54 Issue 3 Pg. 744-748 (Apr 2022) ISSN: 1873-2623 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 35282890 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Child
• Child, Preschool
• Female
• Graft Rejection
• Humans
• Infant
• Infant, Newborn
• Liver Transplantation (adverse effects)
• Mothers
• Pregnancy
• Pregnancy Complications (etiology)
• Pregnancy Outcome
• Premature Birth
• Young Adult