Renal Disease in Pregnancy Ambulatory Issues

Acute and chronic renal disease will complicate prenatal care. Normal physiological changes during pregnancy make the urinary tract system more vulnerable to infectious complications or worsening of preexisting disease. Much of the focus of prenatal care includes screening for these concerns both at the onset of prenatal care and through the pregnancy and postpartum course. With careful and attentive care, the pregnancy outcome for women with significant renal disease has improved and the occurrence of renal injury or obstetric complications due to infectious insults has decreased. This manuscript reviews the current ambulatory prenatal care as it relates to the urinary tract in pregnancy.