Background: Kidney transplantation is a superior treatment for end-stage renal disease (ESRD), compared with hemodialysis, offering better quality of life and birth outcomes in women with ESRD and lower fertility rates.
Objectives: To investigate the pregnancy, maternal, fetal, and graft outcomes following kidney transplantation in women with ESRD and evaluate the improvements in quality of life and associated risks.
Design: A systematic review and meta-analysis performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses and the Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology guidelines.
Data sources and methods: A thorough search of multiple databases, including PubMed, Embase, Scopus, ATC abstracts, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, was conducted to identify studies that analyzed pregnancy outcomes in kidney transplant patients. The search was conducted from the inception of each database to January 2023.
Results: The study reviewed 109 studies that evaluated 7708 pregnancies in 5107 women who had undergone renal transplantation. Of these, 78.48% resulted in live births, 9.68% had induced abortion, and 68.67% had a cesarean section. Miscarriage occurred in 12.54%, preeclampsia in 20.87%, pregnancy-induced hypertension in 24.30%, gestational diabetes in 5.08%, and preterm delivery in 45.30% of cases. Of the 853 recipients, 123 had graft loss after pregnancy and 8.06% suffered acute rejection.
Conclusion: Pregnancy after kidney transplantation is associated with risks for mother and fetus; however, live births are still possible. In addition, there are reduced overall risks of stillbirths, miscarriages, neonatal deaths, and gestational diabetes.
Registration: PROSPERO (CRD42024541659).
Keywords: graft outcomes; live births; neonatal mortality; preeclampsia; pregnancy; renal transplant.