Abstract

Background: Pregnancies in graft recipients are associated with increased risk of a number of pathologies. The aim of the study was to analyze results of brain and abdominal ultrasonography and echocardiography (ECHO) in neonates born to liver (LTx) or renal recipients (RTx).
Material/Methods: The study group consisted of 82 neonates born to transplanted women (46 neonates of liver recipients and 36 neonates of renal recipients), enrolled in a retrospective study. The control group consisted of 74 neonates from the general population. Sonographic examination of the brain was performed to check for the presence of intra-/periventricular hemorrhage (IVH/PVH) according to Papile, and periventricular leukomalacia (PVL).The results of abdominal ultrasonography and 2-dimensional echocardiography (ECHO) were compared between the groups. The immunosuppressive therapy used during pregnancy was also analyzed.
Results: No significant differences were observed between the frequency of IVH in LTx and RTx groups and LTx, RTx, and control groups. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed 1 case of suprarenal hemorrhage, 1 case of cystic kidney, and 3 cases of pyelocalyceal system dilatation in the study group. There were no abnormalities in the echocardiography in 97.8% of children born to mothers after LTx and in 94.4% after RTx. There were significant differences in the immunosuppressive therapy between the pregnant women after LTx and RTx.
Conclusions: The risk was not increased in intra-/periventricular hemorrhage and congenital abnormalities of the gastrointestinal tract and heart in neonates of mothers after organ transplantation, regardless of the immunotherapy used, and risk was similar to that of the general population.

Keywords: liver transplantation, renal transplantation, neonatal outcome, congenital malformation, intra/periventricular hemorrhage, periventricular leukomalacia