Perinatal Outcome of Sickle-cell Disease in Pregnancy: A Retrospective Cross-sectional Study

Abstract Background: Sickle-cell disease (SCD) poses significant maternal and neonatal risks during pregnancy. Assessing the perinatal outcomes in pregnant women with homozygous SCD (HbSS) to optimize management strategies is the goal of this study. Materials and Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, AIIMS Raipur, Chhattisgarh, over 18 months (September 1, 2021, to February 28, 2023). All pregnant women in the third trimester with HbSS admitted to the antenatal care ward were included. Patients with chronic hypertension, diabetes, renal diseases, thalassemia syndromes, or compound sickle-cell syndromes were excluded. Data on maternal and neonatal outcomes were analyzed. Results: The mean hemoglobin at admission was 7.98 + 2.19 g/dL. 65.9% of women required antenatal transfusions. 38.2% of women developed sickle-cell crisis. 23.5% of women required intensive care unit admission in the antenatal and postnatal period. Notable was the mortality of 5.8% of women, which occurred in the postnatal period. 61.8% of women underwent cesarean section, with fetal distress as the most common indication. The mean birth weight was found to be 2.51 ± 0.47 kg. However, there was no neonatal mortality. Conclusion: Optimizing perinatal care requires an understanding of the maternal and neonatal problems linked to SCD during pregnancy. This study emphasizes how crucial multidisciplinary management is to reducing unfavorable results.