Successful management of pregnancies in patients with inherited disorders of ketone body metabolism

Abstract

Patients with succinyl-CoA:3-oxoacid CoA transferase (SCOT) deficiency and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl (HMG)-CoA lyase deficiency are at increased risk of developing metabolic acidosis and hypoglycemia during pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum period. This can be fatal if not treated appropriately. Pregnancy in such patients should be managed in a specialist center by a multidisciplinary team including metabolic physician, high-risk obstetrician, and metabolic dietician. We report two pregnancies in women with SCOT deficiency and HMG-CoA lyase deficiency, which were successfully managed at this tertiary care center. The patient with SCOT deficiency had recurrent ketoacidosis due to severe nausea and vomiting requiring several hospital admissions during pregnancy, while the patient with HMG-CoA lyase deficiency remained metabolically stable. Both patients, nevertheless, had normal delivery of live-born infants and had uneventful postpartum period.