A pregnant woman with a sickling hemoglobinopathy and her fetus are at risk for morbidity and mortality, especially in the third trimester and in Third World Countries. Early and proper management can reduce the risk of complications.
Sickling hemoglobinopathies include:
(1) SS (homozygous S)
(2) SC
(3) S-thalassemia
High risk patients:
(1) history of severe sickling complications
(2) history of severe maternofetal complications in a previous pregnancy
Complications:
(1) pre-eclampsia or eclampsia
(2) painful crisis
(3) hemolytic crisis
(4) acute chest syndrome
(5) premature rupture of the membranes
(6) preterm labor
(7) severe infection (pneumonia, pyelonephritis, sepsis, endometritis)
