Transplant Living: Organ Donation and Transplantation Information for Patients


Medications Post-Transplant Medications Types of Immunosuppressants Switching Immunosuppressants Side Effects Other Medications Generic and Brand Name Drugs Helpful Hints Questions to Ask Pregnancy Precautions Fertility Labor and Delivery Breastfeeding Risks National Registry Staying Healthy Post-Transplant Tests Preventing Rejection Infections & Immunity Health Concerns Diet and Exercise Contacting Your Donor Family Cancer Types Risk factors Prevention and early detection Post-transplant cancer mortality		Pregnancy After Transplant Risks If you are considering becoming pregnant, it is important to discuss these potential risks with your transplant team: Risk of Hypertension Transplant recipients have a high risk of hypertension (HTN) during pregnancy. This condition, also known as uncontrolled high blood pressure, can affect the amount of blood and nutrients the fetus receives or lead to premature delivery, pre-eclampsia or toxemia. It is important to talk to your doctor about certain blood pressure medications that are safe to use during pregnancy. Risk of Infection Although risk of infection is high for all transplant recipients, urinary tract infections (UTI) are the most common during pregnancy. Other infections that may cause concern for transplant recipients during pregnancy include herpes, hepatitis, toxoplasmosis and cytomegalic (CMV) virus. Risk of Rejection A major concern for transplant recipients is whether pregnancy will lead to graft loss. Generally, in patients with good graft function and absence of severe hypertension, pregnancy does not affect graft function or patient survival. However, to reduce risks to the baby, common medication adjustments require close care during and post pregnancy. Risks to the Baby One of the biggest risks to an unborn baby is related to immunosuppressive therapy. Because studies vary on the effect of individual medications on an unborn baby during pregnancy, it is important to discuss your medications with your doctor at the time you are planning your pregnancy. Medication adjustments are frequently needed. Prematurity and complications of prematurity are also major risks for babies born to transplant patients. The severity of this risk may depend on the mother’s renal function and control of blood pressure. In many cases, however, early delivery is common in instances where risks to the mother outweigh premature delivery. Reference and Publication Information The United Network for Organ Sharing is committed to providing accurate and reliable information for transplant patients. To learn more about our content authorship and review process, please read about our Editorial Board. The content on this page was originally created on June 8, 2005 by the United Network for Organ Sharing and last modified on June 17, 2005. The following sources were used as references: American Association of Kidney Patients, retrieved June 9, 2005. Armenti, Vincent, et al. "Report from the National Transplantation Pregnancy Registry (NTPR): Outcomes of Pregnancy after Transplantation". 103-113. Morinia, Alberto, et al. "Pregnancy after heart transplant: update and case report." Human Reproduction 13.3 (1998): 749-757. Lessan-Pezeshki, Mahboob. "Pregnancy after renal transplantation: points to consider." Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation 17 (2002):703-707. This Web site is intended solely for the purpose of electronically providing the public with general health-related information and convenient access to the data resources. UNOS is not affiliated with any one product nor does UNOS assume responsibility for any error, omissions or other discrepancies.		It is very important to discuss these concerns with your doctor: your overall health wellness how to help prevent common health concerns after your transplant how to manage symptoms should you develop additional health concerns You may also want to learn about: Fertility after transplant The National Transplantation Pregnancy Registry