Intrathecal baclofen and pregnancy: implications for clinical care.

Intrathecal baclofen and pregnancy: implications for clinical care. Can J Neurosci Nurs. 2009;31(3):21-4 Authors: DeVries-Rizzo M, Warren D, Delaney G, Levin S, Campbell C, DeRibaupierre S Abstract Pregnancy in patients with intrathecal baclofen (ITB) pumps is rare. To our knowledge, only five reported cases of pregnancy exist in the literature. Thus, there is little experience to inform health care practitioners about the maternal and fetal safety of ITB or its efficacy throughout pregnancy. There are no reports of a pregnant female with an implanted ITB pump having a spontaneous, vaginal delivery at term. As far as we know, this is the first case described in the literature. Additionally, current literature does not address clinical implications for these patients. This paper reviews literature to date and presents unique aspects of our patient. It also discusses clinical implications for treating a pregnant patient with an ITB pump. The intent of this paper is to advance our body of knowledge in caring for pregnant clients with ITB pumps and reassure families about the safety and efficacy of this treatment. PMID: 19757746 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Source: Canadian Journal of Neuroscience Nursing - Category: Nursing Tags: Can J Neurosci Nurs Source Type: research