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CME Credit Offered
CME Credit Offered
Abstract Award
Abstract Award
Recording available 2/16-5/2
Recording available 2/16-5/2
AIUM Credit
AIUM Credit
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Foundation Awardee
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Abstract Award
Abstract Award
Foundation Awardee
Foundation Awardee

Poster Session 2

Category: Medical/Surgical/Diseases/Complications

Poster Session 2

(460) Is there an Association between Parity and Neurovascular Complications in Patients with Sickle Cell Disease?

Wednesday, February 11, 2026
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM  
Objective:
Both pregnancy and sickle cell disease (SCD) increase neurovascular risk. However, it remains unknown whether pregnancy specifically increases the risk of neurovascular complications (NVCs) in women with SCD. Our objective was to evaluate whether parity is associated with clinical (stroke or transient ischemic attack), functional (neurocognitive disorder or abnormal score on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, Rowland Universal Dementia Assessment Scale or Modified Rankin Scale for Neurologic Disability) or imaging (cerebrovascular lesions) NVCs in this population.

Study Design:
We performed a single-center retrospective cohort study of patients with SCD managed at our neuro-hematology clinic. Baseline characteristics were obtained between November 2018 and April 2024 through chart review and standardized phone interview. We included all pregnancies that reached a gestational age ≥ 20 weeks regardless of outcome. Participants were stratified as nulliparous (parity=0) or multiparous (parity≥1). The prevalence of each NVC category was compared between groups using Fisher’s exact test.

Results:
Among 148 participants, 68 (45.9%) had at least 1 pregnancy of 20 weeks or more. Overall, 7/148 (4.7%) experienced a clinical NVC, 65/148 (43.9%) met functional NVC criteria, and 103/148 (69.6%) demonstrated cerebrovascular lesions on neuroimaging. The prevalence of clinical (2.5% vs 7.4%, p=0.248), functional (40.0% vs 48.5%, p=0.406) and imaging‑defined (66.3% vs 73.5%, p=0.374) NVCs did not differ significantly when compared for parity.

Conclusion:
Parity was not associated with clinical, functional or imaging NVCs in our SCD cohort. Larger, multicentric studies and multivariable analyses are warranted to confirm these findings and clarify risk stratification for patients with SCD who wish to become pregnant. Long-term follow-up and systematic documentation of obstetrical history are essential to determine whether pregnancy is a risk factor for NVCs.