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Can SCD cause problems during pregnancy?

With regular prenatal care, most women with SCD can have a healthy pregnancy. But if you have SCD, you’re more likely than other women to have health complications that can affect your pregnancy. These complications include pain episodes, infection and vision problems.

During pregnancy, SCD may become more severe, and pain episodes may happen more often. Pain episodes usually happen in the organs and joints. They can last a few hours to a few days, but some last for weeks.

During pregnancy, SCD may increase your risk of:

• Miscarriage: when a baby dies in the womb before 20 weeks of pregnancy
• Premature birth: when birth happens too early, before 37 weeks of pregnancy
• Having a baby with low birth weight (less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces)

How is SCD treated during pregnancy?

If you have SCD and you’re pregnant or planning to get pregnant, talk to your health care provider about the medicines you’re taking. Your provider may change your medicine to one that’s safe for your baby during pregnancy.

For example, hydroxyurea is a medicine that may help prevent red blood cells from sickling. It’s used to treat SCD pain episodes. However, it isn’t recommended during pregnancy because it may increase the risk of birth defects.

Your provider also can treat other problems related to SCD and pregnancy. For example, your provider can help you find ways to treat pain episodes that are safe during pregnancy.