A New Life: Motherhood After Heart Transplantation. A Single-center Experience and Review of Literature

Transplantation
Francesca MaceraMaria Frigerio

Abstract

Pregnancy after heart transplantation (HTx) may expose the recipient to hemodynamic and immunologic risks and the newborn to toxic effects of immunosuppressive therapy. Adequate preconception counseling is crucial to identify optimal timing and to modify immunosuppressive therapy to minimize risks for both the mother and the fetus. We describe our experience with 12 pregnancies occurred in 11 women who had undergone HTx at our center. Pregnancies ran without severe complications or rejections, and none of the babies have shown major defects at birth. However, as reported in the literature, weight at birth rated in lower range in most of the newborns, probably due to in utero cyclosporine exposure. Up to now, none of the babies showed clinical signs of heart disease, although more than half of the mothers had an inherited or familial cardiomyopathy. Despite potential mother and fetal complications, successful pregnancy and delivery are possible after HTx, provided that optimum timing, close monitoring, and therapy adjustments are guaranteed. Becoming a mother appears to be an important achievement for young women after HTx, even when there is a risk to transmit an inheritable heart disease.

References

Mar 1, 1988·American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology·B R LöwensteinR G Favaloro
Jun 10, 2005·American Journal of Transplantation : Official Journal of the American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons·Dianne B McKayUNKNOWN Women's Health Committee of the American Society of Transplantation
Aug 12, 2008·Transplantation Reviews·Vincent T ArmentiJohn M Davison
Oct 2, 2008·Obstetrics and Gynecology·Joan M MastrobattistaUNKNOWN Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine
Dec 3, 2009·American Journal of Transplantation : Official Journal of the American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons·P J O'BoyleN R Banner
Jul 21, 2010·The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation : the Official Publication of the International Society for Heart Transplantation·Maria Rosa CostanzoUNKNOWN International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation Guidelines
Jul 21, 2012·Cardiology Clinics·Scott W CowanVincent T Armenti
Jul 20, 2014·Seminars in Perinatology·Marwah Abdalla, Donna M Mancini
Sep 23, 2014·The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation : the Official Publication of the International Society for Heart Transplantation·Lars H LundUNKNOWN International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation
Nov 12, 2015·American Journal of Transplantation : Official Journal of the American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons·R FiocchiA Crippa
Jun 18, 2016·Clinical Transplantation·Catriona J BhagraGareth Parry
Sep 19, 2016·European Journal of Medical Genetics·Antonio Perez-AytesMaximo Vento

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

May 16, 2018·Transplantation·Luciano PotenaElvira Presta
Jun 27, 2019·The Journal of Maternal-fetal & Neonatal Medicine : the Official Journal of the European Association of Perinatal Medicine, the Federation of Asia and Oceania Perinatal Societies, the International Society of Perinatal Obstetricians·Indranee N RajapreyarJose Tallaj
Aug 11, 2020·Journal of Cardiac Failure·Ersilia M Defilippis, Michelle M Kittleson
May 14, 2021·Circulation. Heart Failure·Ersilia M DeFilippisMichelle M Kittleson

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Cardiomyopathy

Cardiomyopathy is a disease of the heart muscle, that can lead to muscular or electrical dysfunction of the heart. It is often an irreversible disease that is associated with a poor prognosis. There are different causes and classifications of cardiomyopathies. Here are the latest discoveries pertaining to this disease.

Related Papers

Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology : the Journal of the Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
C Y W Lee, G Koren
Seminars in Perinatology
Marwah Abdalla, Donna M Mancini
Minerva ginecologica
A Vainrib, Kathleen Stergiopoulos
Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing : JOGNN
Danuta M Wojnar, Amy Katzenmeyer
© 2022 Meta ULC. All rights reserved