Topic overview

Start with the big picture

The lesson organizes SCD pregnancy management across the full care pathway. Before conception, it addresses stopping teratogenic medicines and updating recommended vaccines. Pregnancy care includes folic acid supplementation, selective rather than routine iron therapy, thromboprophylaxis, and measures to reduce vaso-occlusive crisis risk. It also introduces approaches to crisis analgesia, infection treatment, and transfusion decisions, alongside medicines to avoid. Later sections cover fetal growth and wellbeing surveillance, delivery planning at a tertiary center, and postpartum management. Together, these topics show how individualized planning and monitoring support maternal and fetal care; the appropriate choices depend on the patient’s clinical context and complications.