Pregnancy in women with pulmonary fibrosis: A case report of pregnancy in a woman with idiopathic pulmonary hemosiderosis

Abstract

Pregnancy causes a profound amount of respiratory stress on the body of the normal woman. For the woman with a chronic pulmonary disease such as pulmonary fibrosis (PF), pregnancy is not only a source of respiratory stress but can also be a life-threatening condition for both her and the unborn baby. We report an older adolescent with idiopathic pulmonary hemosiderosis (IPH) and PF who became pregnant and delivered a healthy infant. She is the first documented patient with this disease to suffer no exacerbations of her IPH during pregnancy. We also review potential respiratory problems, such as respiratory insufficiency and death, of both the mother and her unborn infant, which can occur in women with PF.