More transfusions during pregnancy may lower intrauterine fetal death risk in SCD: Study

As for the study design,Fifty-five records of pregnancies were analyzed among 35 women with SCD.

Data analysis revealed the following facts.

• Among 29 newborns, 19 (65.5%) were full-term and 10 pre-term; 24 (82.7%) caesareans and 5 (17.2%) natural births were observed.
• The mean gestational age at birth and mother`s age were 36.6 weeks (30–40) and 26.7 years (17–39), respectively. No maternal death was observed.
• The main maternal obstetric and non-obstetric complications were: pre-eclampsia and gestational diabetes, and vaso-occlusive crisis, urinary tract infection and acute chest syndrome, respectively.
• Twenty-six (47.0%) fetal deaths were observed, 24 being intrauterine fetal (14 early abortions, 10 late abortions and 2 stillbirths). Regarding the red blood cell transfusion history, 40 (72.7%) out of 55 pregnancies received transfusion.
• Pregnant women who received 6 or more transfusions throughout pregnancy had a significantly lower number of abortions, i.e., no cases of early abortion and only 1 case of late abortion, versus 14 and 9 cases in pregnancies with 0–5 transfusions, respectively.
• Despite advances in the management of SCD, pregnant women with SCD (particularly those with HbSS) are at a high risk for maternal and fetal complications, even though they are followed in reference centers.For the full article follow the link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.htct.2020.12.009

Primary source: Hematology, Transfusion, and Cell Therapy.