Maternal and Neonatal Morbidity Among Women With Sickle Cell Anemia and Sickle Cell Trait [4R]

INTRODUCTION: The objective of this study is to investigate maternal and neonatal morbidities among a contemporary cohort of women with sickle cell anemia (SCA) and sickle cell trait (SCT). METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study among women with laboratory confirmed SCA and SCT with placental pathology results. We sought to compare maternal and neonatal morbidity among a contemporary cohort of women with SCT and SCA. RESULTS: One hundred thirty-two patients met inclusion criteria: 16 (12%) with SCA and 116 (88%) with SCT. Baseline characteristics including age, gravidity, parity, race, funding source and smoking status were similar between groups. Co-morbidities were similar with the exception of a higher incidence of chronic infectious diseases among patients with SCA (38% vs. 9%, p=0.002). With respect to maternal morbidity, the following were significantly more likely to occur among patients with SCA as compared to SCT: antepartum hospital admission (81% vs. 19%, p < 0.001), antepartum (69% vs. 4%, p < 0.001) and postpartum blood transfusions (38% vs. 5%, p < 0.001), postpartum readmission (19% vs. 3%, p=0.004) and endometritis (6% vs. 0%, p=0.01) (Table 1). With respect to neonatal morbidity, 25% of infants born to mothers with SCA were small for gestational age as compared 6% of infants born to SCT mothers (p=0.02). No other short-term neonatal morbidities were identified among infants born to mothers with SCA as compared to infants born to mothers with SCT. CONCLUSION: Maternal morbidity among patients with SCA is significantly greater as compared to mothers with SCT; infants born to SCA mothers also have higher rates of SGA.