Pregnancy outcomes among living kidney donors
Lay Abstract
People with kidney failure depend on one of two treatments to survive: dialysis or a kidney transplant. Kidney transplant recipients enjoy longer lifespans and a better quality of life than patients on dialysis. Women of child-bearing age make up the majority of kidney donors. These women may wish to conceive after kidney donation and need to be informed of how and whether donating a kidney may impact their future pregnancies. Our current knowledge of the increased risks of high blood pressure during pregnancy and preeclampsia in living kidney donors is based on only three studies, and information on other important mom and baby outcomes is lacking. To provide this information, we will study living kidney donors in four provinces from 1992-2022. Our study will provide precise estimates of perinatal outcomes in living kidney donors compared with similar non-donors. The study results can be used to help women of childbearing age make informed decisions about whether to become living kidney donors.
