Abstract
Background
Women who have undergone liver transplantation (LT) enjoy better health, and possibility
of childbearing. However, maternal and graft risks, optimal immunosuppression, and
fetal outcome is still to clarify.
Aim
Aim of the study was to assess outcomes of pregnancy after LT at national level.
Methods
In 2019, under the auspices of the Permanent Transplant Committee of the Italian Association
for the Study of the Liver, a multicenter survey including 14 Italian LT-centers was
conducted aiming at evaluating the outcomes of recipients and newborns, and graft
injury/function parameters during pregnancy in LT-recipients.
Results
Sixty-two pregnancies occurred in 60 LT-recipients between 1990 and 2018. Median age
at the time of pregnancy was 31-years and median time from transplantation to conception
was 8-years. During pregnancy, 4 recipients experienced maternal complications with
hospital admission. Live-birth-rate was 100%. Prematurity occurred in 25/62 newborns,
and 8/62 newborns had low-birth-weight. Cyclosporine was used in 16 and Tacrolimus
in 37 pregnancies, with no different maternal or newborn outcomes. Low-birth-weight
was correlated to high values of AST, ALT and GGT.
Conclusion
Pregnancy after LT has good outcome; however, maternal complications and prematurity
may occur. Compliance with the immunosuppression is fundamental to ensure the stability
of graft function and prevent graft-deterioration.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: September 05, 2021
Accepted:
August 18,
2021
Received:
June 22,
2021
Identification
Copyright
© 2021 Editrice Gastroenterologica Italiana S.r.l. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
