Pregnancy and Chronic Kidney Disease


Women with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are at increased risk of having maternal complications including irreversible worsening of renal function, pre-eclampsia and adverse fetal outcomes in pregnancy. Similarly, women with pre-existing hypertension have higher chance of developing maternal and fetal complications in pregnancy. Optimal management of such patients is complex and involves specialized pre-natal and antenatal care in collaboration with nephrology and high-risk obstetrics.

At UF Health, we have a dedicated pregnancy and kidney disease clinic, where your patient will be managed by a nephrologist with special interest and expertise in taking care of the pregnant patients. Dr. Abhilash Koratala, who is a Specialist in Clinical Hypertension certified by the American Society of Hypertension, currently directs this clinic.

In this clinic, we provide pre-natal and antenatal counseling for women with CKD and hypertension, closely monitor renal function and proteinuria, and optimize medical management and immunosuppressive therapy for those with glomerulonephritis. In addition, we utilize advanced non-invasive techniques such as central blood pressure measurement, 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and impedance cardiography (BioZ) in managing complex cases of hypertension. Our clinic provides an opportunity for early diagnosis and appropriate treatment of kidney-associated complications in pregnancy, thereby improving outcomes for both the mother and the baby.