Despite advancements in medical care, pregnant women with sickle cell disease (SCD) are at a higher risk of complications and require close monitoring, a nationwide French study has found. SCD is associated with a significantly higher likelihood of maternal and fetal complications, preterm birth, and caesarean sections (C-sections), data…

Women with sickle cell disease who undergo a stem cell transplant can become pregnant and give birth to healthy children, a new study shows. “The results of this study show that female [stem cell transplant] recipients can achieve successful and safe pregnancies,” Katja Sockel, MD, lead study author at University…

Preventive red blood cell transfusions may protect against complications associated with pregnancy in women with sickle cell disease (SCD), a 13-year study has found. Findings indicate that the rates of premature births, as well as SCD complications, such as vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs) and acute chest syndrome (ACS), are…

Corticosteroids taken during pregnancy are a risk factor for more severe vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs) in women with sickle cell disease (SCD), according to a study in France. Particularly, this risk was higher in women with a more severe SCD type and evidence of more severe disease. Newborns exposed…

Black women in California with sickle cell disease (SCD) have worse pregnancy outcomes than do Black women in the state who don’t have the inherited blood disorder, a new study reported. For pregnant Black women with SCD, the rates of both stillbirth and pregnancy-related complications are higher, the study…

The risk of pregnancy-related death is about 26 times higher among people with sickle cell disease (SCD) in the U.S. compared with the national average, a recent study reported. The rate of pregnancy-related complications among SCD patients has not improved in recent decades, the results indicate. “People with sickle…

Contraception practices and counseling for adolescent and young adult women with sickle cell disease (SCD) vary by the healthcare provider, especially among clinicians with more or less experience, a survey reported. Established clinicians were found to be more likely to provide contraceptive counseling than those still in training, by…

Treatment with hydroxyurea at the time of conception may be safe, but its use by women with sickle cell disease (SCD) during pregnancy was linked to twofold higher risks of both miscarriage and stillbirth, a U.S. study reported. Pregnant women taking hydroxyurea — used to reduce the frequency…

The blood level of a small protein called IP-10 could be a way to determine inflammation in pregnant women with sickle cell disease (SCD), according to new research in potential biomarkers. The exploratory study, “Chemokines in pregnant women with sickle cell disease,” appeared in the journal…

According to a study published in the American Journal of Hematology, the presence of a multidisciplinary clinical team can dramatically reduce maternal and perinatal mortality rates in pregnant women with sickle cell disease (SCD), especially in under-developed and low-income countries. In recent decades, medical advances have significantly improved the survival of those…