Morbidity associated with sickle cell disease in pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to identify morbidity that is associated with sickle cell disease (SCD) in pregnancy.

STUDY DESIGN: The Nationwide Inpatient Sample from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality for the years 2000-2003 was queried for all pregnancy-related discharges with a diagnosis of SCD.

RESULTS: There were 17,952 deliveries (0.1% of the total) to women with SCD. There were 10 deaths (72.4 per 100,000 deliveries). Cerebral vein thrombosis, pneumonia, pyelonephritis, deep venous thrombosis, transfusion, postpartum infection, sepsis, and systemic inflammatory response syndrome were much more common among women with SCD. They were more likely to undergo cesarean delivery, to experience pregnancy-related complications (such as gestational hypertension/preeclampsia, eclampsia, abruption, antepartum bleeding, preterm labor, and fetal growth restriction), and to have cardiomyopathy or pulmonary hypertension at the time of delivery.

CONCLUSION: Women with sickle cell disease are at greater risk for morbidity in pregnancy than previously estimated.