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Pregnancy in Kidney Disease

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Endocrine Disorders in Kidney Disease

Abstract

Pregnancy rates in women with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are increasing even in those with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) maintained on renal replacement therapy. Pregnancies in this population can result in a variety of maternal and fetal complications, but outcomes have improved over the last 50 years. The effect of pregnancy on progression of CKD is likely minimal in those with early stages of CKD but can be a significant concern in those with CKD stages 3–5. Hypertension and proteinuria are common maternal complications, and preeclampsia, a challenge to diagnose, has been reported to occur in as many as 19% of cases. In more advanced stages of CKD, fetal complications commonly include preterm delivery, intrauterine growth retardation, and reduced infant survival. These complications have recently been noted to be in decline with recent reports confirming improved fetal outcomes and no significant increases in maternal mortality. Improved management of comorbidities such as hypertension, intensified dialysis in women with ESKD, and close to attention to management of CKD-associated complications such as volume control and nutrition, anemia, and mineral-bone disease factors is an important advance that likely is associated with these improved outcomes. These issues are discussed in detail in this chapter.

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Correspondence to Madeleine V. Pahl .

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Pahl, M.V. (2019). Pregnancy in Kidney Disease. In: Rhee, C., Kalantar-Zadeh, K., Brent, G. (eds) Endocrine Disorders in Kidney Disease. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-97765-2_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-97765-2_11

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