Pregnancy in IgA Nephropathy: An Effect on Renal Outcome?

With IgA nephropathy being the commonest primary glomerulonephritis worldwide and having a peak incidence between the 2nd and 3rd decades of life, pregnancy is a major concern for many with this condition [1]. The association between chronic kidney disease and a higher risk of adverse maternal and fetal outcomes, including pre-eclampsia, accelerated decline in renal function, intrauterine growth retardation, preterm delivery and fetal death, is well recognised [2]. What remains unclear is whether IgA nephropathy confers the same or its own disease-specific degree of risk compared to patients with equivalent levels of kidney function impairment due to other causes.