BACKGROUND:
Pregnancy in women receiving home dialysis is uncommon, despite potential benefits such as prolonged dialysis hours, enhanced family support, and reduced hospital resource utilisation. Limited data may contribute to hesitancy in considering home dialysis during pregnancy.
AIM:
To examine fertility rates, pregnancy outcomes, and dialysis modality transitions in women receiving home dialysis.
METHODS:
A retrospective analysis of pregnancies reported to the Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant (ANZDATA) Registry from 2001–2023 was conducted.
RESULTS:
Among 149 pregnancies, fertility rates per 1000 women/year were 3.3 for home haemodialysis (HHD), 1.1 for peritoneal dialysis (PD), and 2.2 for in-centre dialysis (ICD). Dialysis modality at conception included HHD (13.4%), PD (8.7%), and ICD (35.6%); 57% were conceived before dialysis (CBD). Median dialysis duration at conception was shortest for PD (0.6 years, Interquartile Range,IQR 0.6-2.9), followed by ICD (1.3 years,IQR 0.6-2.9) and HHD (3.6 years,IQR 2.2-6.0) (p=0.017). About 85% continued their initial modality throughout pregnancy. Among CBD patients, 4.8% initiated home dialysis during pregnancy.
Preeclampsia occurred most frequently in PD (38.5%) and CBD (33.3%), compared to HHD (14.3%) and ICD (10%) (p=0.007). Live birth rates were similar across modalities (HHD:47.8%, PD:50%, ICD:47.2%). Median gestational age and birthweight did not significantly differ. Among women with dialysis vintage >3 years, PD was associated with the lowest median birthweight (959g), compared to HHD (1885g) and ICD (1584g) (p=0.07).
CONCLUSION:
Successful pregnancy outcomes are achievable with home dialysis, including initiation during pregnancy. These findings support broader consideration of home dialysis as a viable option.