Study finds pregnancy risks higher with ART in kidney transplant recipients

The odds of complications during pregnancy may be increased among women with kidney transplants conceiving through assisted reproductive technology (ART), according to a new study led by the University of Cincinnati's Silvi Shah, MD, and published in Transplantation. It was recently featured in Contemporary OB/GYN.

It's among the first large-scale research assessing pregnancy outcomes in women with kidney transplants. Alongside increased hypertension risk, this population presented with increased risks of cesarean delivery, preterm birth and reduced infant birth weight.

“Until now, little has been known about the outcomes of pregnancies using assisted reproductive technology in women with kidney transplants,” said Shah, associate professor of nephrology in the College of Medicine. “Our study provides valuable evidence to guide physicians when counseling patients toward family-planning decision-making and the use of assisted reproductive technology."

These results highlighted increased risks of certain pregnancy complications among kidney transplant recipients utilizing ART. However, as other risks such as live birth rates and two-year kidney transplant survival did not increase, investigators concluded ART remains safe for use in patients who received a kidney transplant.

Women with chronic kidney disease often experience significant adverse impacts on fertility. A large proportion of this population may be able to conceive naturally following kidney transplantation, but some may continue to experience infertility, requiring the use of ART to conceive.

Shah noted that this data now allows for a greater understanding of how clinicians can optimize care for kidney transplant recipients planning to conceive with ART. Additionally, clinicians may use this information to help patients make informed reproductive choices.

Read the full Contemporary OB/GYN article.