Pregnancy Outcomes in Wilson’s Disease Women: Single-Center Case Series

Abstract

Objectives:

To evaluate and compare pregnancy outcomes in women with Wilson’s disease (WD) undergoing different therapies during pregnancy.

Material and Methods:

Retrospective review of medication in WD patients during pregnancy and the outcomes.

Results:

Of 26 pregnancies, zinc was used in 14 (53.8%), D-penicillamine in 4 (15.4%) patients, and 8 (30.8%) were untreated. Spontaneous abortion was observed in 8 (30.8%) pregnancies – untreated patients (4/8 pregnancies), zinc (2/14 pregnancies) and D-penicillamine (2/4 pregnancies) –, healthy outcome in 12 (46.1%) and birth defects in 6 (23.1%). All cases of birth defects occurred in patients using zinc therapy (6/14 pregnancies).

Conclusions:

A remarkably high frequency of fetal complications shed lights on the potentially harmful effect of WD drugs during childbearing age. Zinc’s safety profile may have to be better evaluated during pregnancy, as all of birth defects occurred with zinc therapy.

Keywords:

• Hepatolenticular degeneration
• pregnancy
• zinc
• congenital abnormalities

Conflicts of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Funding

None.

Author contributions

Mussi MCL, Faria LC, Couto CA planned and designed the study. Mussi MCL, Abreu ES, Osório FMF, Cançado GGL, Ferrari TCA, Faria LC, Couto CA participated in the acquisition, analysis, and interpretation of the data. Mussi MCL, Nardelli MJ, Santos BC drafted the manuscript. All authors revised and approved the final draft submitted manuscript.