PKD and Pregnancy

Your level of kidney function greatly affects your ability to conceive and to go on to have a successful pregnancy. If your kidney function is normal, your fertility is also likely to be normal. If your kidney function is severely impaired, the levels of reproductive hormones that your body produces may be considerably reduced, meaning that it could be harder to conceive.

Women with ADPKD are more likely to develop high blood pressure in pregnancy than women who don’t have ADPKD, particularly in later pregnancy. If this happens you may be advised to start taking medication or increase your current medication to control your blood pressure. Remember any changes to your medication should only be made under close medical supervision.

Women with ADPKD are also more likely to develop pre-eclampsia. This is a condition in which women have protein in their urine, fluid retention and high blood pressure. Pre-eclampsia is a serious condition for both the mother and the baby. Approximately 1 in 10 women with ADPKD with normal or mildly reduced kidney function develop pre-eclampsia. You could be more likely to get pre-eclampsia if you already have blood pressure problems or poorer kidney function.

Men with ADPKD usually have normal fertility, unless they have low kidney function. Men with severe ADPKD, but who have had a transplant are usually fertile soon after transplantation. ADPKD can cause cysts in the reproductive system, but it’s uncommon for this to affect fertility.

Disclaimer: The UCLA Health System cannot guarantee the accuracy of such information. The information is provided without warranty or guarantee of any kind. Please speak to your Physician before making any changes.