Intellectual performance of kidney transplant recipients’ offspring: a cross-sectional, multicenter study

AbstractObjective: The number of successful pregnancies in kidney transplant (KT) recipients has increased in recent years. Little evidence is available about the risk of in utero immunosuppressive exposure for long-term cognitive consequences. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of immunosuppression during pregnancy on intellectual performance of children born to KT recipients.Methods: Using a cross-sectional design, women who had undergone KT and their children (aged 4+ years) were recruited at the outpatient follow-up in five transplant centers. Women who did not receive immunosuppression during pregnancy with similar distributions of socioeconomic status and length of gestation and their children were also recruited. Children were assessed with Wechsler Intelligence Scales.Results: The study sample included 50 exposed and 50 unexposed children. No differences between groups in all the proposed confounding factors were found. Full-scale IQ did not differ significantly between both groups. ...