PKD Life - Spring 2022 - 9

JONATHAN BORBA/UNSPLASH
PKD DAY TO DAY
Age s & Stage s
Preeclampsia
and PKD
There is an increased risk of
preeclampsia, but excellent
medical management can help
achieve a healthy delivery.
By Erika Klein
worsening hypertension
(high blood pressure), so it's
important to see a maternalfetal
medicine (high-risk
pregnancy) specialist, says
Dallas Reed, M.D., division
chief of genetics at Tufts Children's
Hospital and director
of perinatal genetics in the
Department of Obstetrics and
Gynecology at Tufts Medical
Center. These physicians treat
pregnant patients who have
chronic conditions or other
issues that put them and
their babies at a higher risk
for problems.
W hen Mandy Trail, of Columbus, Ohio, had her
fi rst child in 1998, her pregnancy was without
complication. Then a year later, she was diagnosed
with PKD. During her second pregnancy, in 2004,
she dealt with hypertension-a common issue for
pregnant women with PKD-and a feeling of fullness.
" You already don't have a lot of space because your
kidneys are so big, " Trail recalls.
Although she had no major problems during her
second pregnancy, Trail says she did put a greater
emphasis on healthy eating and exercise. " Just really
doing everything the doctors told me that I should be
doing to maintain a healthy pregnancy, " she says.
If you have PKD and are thinking about pregnancy,
here's what you need to know:
SEE A SPECIALIST
Women with PKD have an increased chance of developing
pregnancy complications, including new or
BE PREPARED FOR
CLOSE MONITORING
" If it seems to you [a woman
with ADPKD] that you're getting
exactly the same care as
your pregnant friends that
have no medical issues, then
that's a little bit concerning, "
Dr. Reed says. Extra monitoring
is especially important
to keep an eye on your blood
pressure, which is the biggest
concern.
If you're already taking
blood pressure medication,
you may need to switch to
one that's safer for pregnancy.
Around 10 to 12 weeks, you'll
probably undergo baseline
preliminary testing for kidney
function and blood pressure.
" If someone starts to develop
new-onset hypertension,
worsening hypertension, or
worsening kidney disease,
we want to know where they
started, " Dr. Reed explains.
Throughout her second
pregnancy, Trail also checked
her blood pressure at home
and shared the numbers
with her kidney specialist,
who worked closely with
her maternal-fetal medicine
doctor.
WATCH FOR SIGNS
OF PREECLAMPSIA
Preeclampsia, a serious
pregnancy complication, is
more common in patients
who have kidney disease or
hypertension, and it usually
happens after the 20th week
of pregnancy. Preeclampsia
can aff ect all the organs in a
woman's body and may cause
seizures and strokes. In some
cases, a woman may need to
give birth early.
If you have the symptoms
below, you should call your
doctor immediately:
* Persistent headache
* Shortness of breath
* Changes in eyesight (e.g.,
seeing spots, blurry vision)
* Pain in the upper abdomen
or shoulder
* Sudden weight gain
* Swollen hands and feet
* Nausea and vomiting
in the second half
of pregnancy
FOLLOW YOUR
KIDNEY SPECIALIST'S
RECOMMENDATIONS
With PKD in general but
particularly during pregnancy,
Dr. Reed recommends
drinking lots of
water. Sticking to the diet
recommended by your doctor
can also help support a
healthy pregnancy.
*
PKDCURE.ORG
9
http://www.PKDCURE.ORG
PKD Life - Spring 2022

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