Perinatal Outcomes in Cystic Fibrosis Women: Data From the Italian Cystic Fibrosis Registry.

Abstract Data from the Italian Cystic Fibrosis Registry (ICFR) concerning pregnancies in the period 2010-2015 were used to investigate the association between the pre-conception clinical status and perinatal outcomes of women with CF. The assessed clinical variables were genotype, pre-conception age, the body mass index (BMI), and the percentage of predicted forced expiratory volume in one second (ppFEV1); the analysed outcomes were gestational age, birth weight (BW), and the frequency of caesarean deliveries. Complete information concerning mother and child was available for 56 pregnanciesthat came to term. The median pre-conception age was 30.8 years (18.7-42.3); median BMI was 21.5 kg/m2(16.5-26.8); and median ppFEV1was 73.9% (30-128%).Twenty-four women (42.8%) carried class I-III mutations, and 25 (44.8%) at least one mutation conferring residual CFTR function or having variable clinical consequences. The median duration of pregnancy was 37 weeks (31-41), and the frequency of prematurity was 28.30%. Median BW was 2,910 g (1,300-3,650). There was a positive correlation between BMI and ppFEV1 in comparison with BW (r=0.29 andr=0.31 by p=0.048 and p=0.032, respectively), but no correlation between age and BW. The overall frequency of caesarean sections was 63.64%, but it was 77.27% among the women with severe genotypes. A lower ppFEV1 corresponded to a lower BW (p=0.047). Respiratory function had no effect on the percentage of caesarean deliveries. The nutritional status and respiratory function of CF mothers correlate with their newborn’s BW. Caesarean sections are very frequent, even in young women with normal lung function.