Position statement on the management of pregnancy in sickle cell disease

Mimi Yue; Kylie Mason; Shelley Rowlands; Zane Kaplan; Debra Kennedy; Giselle Kidson-Gerber

doi:10.1111/ajo.13888

Position statement on the management of pregnancy in sickle cell disease

Aust N Z J Obstet Gynaecol. 2024 Sep 27. doi: 10.1111/ajo.13888. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Mimi Yue^{1

2}, Kylie Mason^{3

4}, Shelley Rowlands⁵, Zane Kaplan^{6

7}, Debra Kennedy^{8

9}, Giselle Kidson-Gerber^{9

10}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Haematology, Mater Health Service, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
² School of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
³ Department of Clinical Haematology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and the Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
⁴ Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
⁵ Department of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
⁶ Monash Haematology, Monash Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
⁷ Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
⁸ Royal Hospital for Women, Randwick Campus, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
⁹ Schools of Medicine and Women's and Children's Health, Prince of Wales Hospital and Royal Hospital for Women Clinical School, University of NSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
¹⁰ Department of Haematology, NSW Health Pathology, Prince of Wales Hospital and Royal Hospital for Women, Randwick Campus, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

PMID: 39333023
DOI: 10.1111/ajo.13888

Abstract

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a hereditary haemoglobinopathy which causes multi-organ dysfunction. Pregnancies in SCD are high risk with significant maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality, including vaso-occlusive crises, thrombosis, anaemia, placental insufficiency, fetal growth restriction, preterm birth and medication effects. High level evidence on this topic is lacking. The Australian Sickle Cell Disease Working Group has reviewed international guidelines on this topic and provide an up-to-date and structured approach to the pre-conception, antenatal, birth and post-partum management of these women. Early and comprehensive multidisciplinary care involving experienced clinicians is recommended.

Keywords: anaemia; pregnancy; pregnancy complications; prenatal care; sickle cell.

© 2024 The Author(s). Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.