Maternal Outcomes in Women Complicated with sickle Cell Disease

Background: Sickle cell disease is an autosomal recessive hemoglobinopathy that is characterised by vaso-occlusive complications, and pregnant women with this condition are more likely to experience adverse consequences for both the mother and the fetus. Objective: The study design is to evaluate the maternal outcomes in women with sickle cell disease. Methods: This case-control study was carried out at the Duhok Obstetrics and Gynaecology Teaching Hospital in Iraqi Kurdistan between March 2020 and March 2025 .The 77 pregnant women in the study were divide d into two groups: the study group, also known as the SCD group, consisted of 30 pregnant women with SCD and was compared to the control group, also known as the non-SCD group, which consisted of 47 pregnant women without SCD who gave birth at the same time for study group .The inclusion criteria were ,Pregnant women who had been previously diagnosed with homozygous SCD (HbSS), the diagnosis was determined through hemoglobin electrophoresis or genetic testing which relied on documented physician notes .The individuals with sickle cell trait or other SCD genotypes , smoker and twin pregnancy were excluded. Results: Over the course of the study, the mean maternal age in the SCD patients was 23.14 ± 4.21 years, compared to 22.11 ± 3.11 years in the control group (P=0.221). Twenty-seven SCD patients (90 %) were primigravid, compared to 38.29 percent of the women in the control group. The mean number of admissions was 2.02 ± 1.01 for the SCD group, compared to 1.01± 0.01for the non-SCD group. There was a statistically significant difference (p < 0.0001).Vaso-occlusive crises were responsible for 14 cases (46.6%) of hospitalisations in the sickle cell disease group. The study discovered the following about the mode of delivery: Ten patients (33.33%) in the SCD group had birth vaginally. Only one patient (3.33%) had an operational vaginal delivery (OVD), while eleven patients (36.66%) needed an emergency caesarean delivery (CD). Forty-four patients (93.61%) in the control group had vaginal births. Conclusions: sickle cell disease is still a significant factor in pregnancy and delivery-associated problems. A planned pregnancy with early scheduled antenatal care would be essential to provide sufficient healthcare in a tertiary hospital,