Pregnancy outcome in women requiring chronic hemodialysis.

Chronic renal failure is strongly associated with poor pregnancy outcome. Women dependent upon hemodialysis before conception rarely achieve a successful live birth. Pregnancies in three women requiring chronic hemodialysis before conception and throughout gestation resulted in three live births, of whom one survived the neonatal period. The risks of dialysis in pregnancy (hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis) are significant to both the mother and fetus. Polyhydramnios appears to be a major complication in women dependent upon chronic hemodialysis.