Women Giving Birth After Kidney Transplants

Women who have had a kidney transplant may still be able to give birth without it affecting their kidney function or lifespan. While the new study can’t speak for all women, it’s still encouraging news for aspiring mothers with transplants. Since no adverse effects from pregnancy and birth were found, researchers note that kidney transplant recipients with good kidney function don’t need to fear not being around to raise their children.

Study details:

• Analyzed data included 40 years’ worth of pregnancy data for transplant recipients in Australia and New Zealand.
• Researchers compared 120 women who gave birth after receiving their kidney transplant with 120 transplanted women who did not have children.

The team of researchers from Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Australia found that kidney transplant recipients who have good kidney function can get pregnant and give birth without harming their health or the transplant health. Eighty-three percent of women with a functioning kidney transplant who became pregnant successfully gave birth.

The matching cohort study will appear in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN).

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