Immunosuppressants can cause fetal abnormalities and miscarriage

American researchers have established that taking medications to prevent rejection during pregnancy may increase the risk of birth defects and miscarriage.

Dr. Serban Constantinescu of Temple University School of Medicine (USA) and his team analyzed patient data from the National Registry of Post-Transplant Pregnancy (NTPR). The researchers’ goal was to compare 114 kidney transplant recipients taking immunosuppressants containing mycophenolic acid (MPA) products with 163 patients who had stopped taking these drugs during pregnancy.

It found that the group not taking MPA had more live births (79%) than women using the drug during pregnancy (43%). Much less frequent were miscarriages (19% vs 52%) and birth defects in newborns (6% vs 14%). In contrast, kidney problems during and after pregnancy were similar in both groups of women, which means that discontinuing anti-rejection drugs for 9 months does not increase the risk of renal dysfunction.

The results we have obtained raise many question marks for scientists, says Dr Constantinescu. – Accurate research is needed, based on cooperation between specialists in several fields of medicine, to better assess the potential risk of pregnancy for kidney transplant patients. In particular, the focus should be on developing new immunosuppressive drugs to replace the harmful MPA. (PAP)

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