surrogacy and preeclampsia

[expert@preeclampsia.org]

Hi I was a gestational Surrogate and got severe preeclampsia at 20 weeks and delivered at 20w6d. The reason the intended parents need the help of a surrogate was because the intended mother got severe preeclampsia at 20 weeks with two pregnancies and she delievered at 24 weeks.

Prior to my experience I had one uncomplicated normal pregnancy and delivered naturally at a birth center with no drugs.

Is my chance increased for developing PE with any pregnancy from now on?
Do you think that the PE in this case is related to the genetic make up of the embryo which was not mine at all?
Do you think I could become a surrogate for another couple and have a normal pregnancy since my own was normal?

[expert@preeclampsia.org]

I am unaware of specific ties to surrogacy, though pregnancies resulting from assisted reproductive technologies are associated with a preeclampsia risk above baseline.

[expert@preeclampsia.org]

Interesting, but I know of no specific data on surrogacy. Two issues come to mind.

The one of preeclampsia when one changes fathers i.e: the paternal issue, and the point ***** made.

[expert@preeclampsia.org]

I believe that there is a literature related to donor gametes, but relates more to premature ovarian failure where the recipient can be expected to have some accelerated vascular aging - one donor gamete increases risk (whether egg or sperm) and two moreso. The surrogate mum was immunologically-naive to both parents of the pregnancy - and this was a dyad who had previously had a pregnancy complicated by pre-eclampsia. In terms of placental formation, this represents a number of hits.

As long as [the original poster] remains with the partner of her first pregnancy, I suspect that she will not be at increased risk for pre-eclampsia in a spontaneous pregnancy. Unless she has developed an intercurrent illness such as a vasculitis of which she is unaware.

I really don't know the answer to the third question.

[expert@preeclampsia.org]

The REI folks keep data on their ART pregnancies; perhaps a query to them might yield some meaningful information. I am not sure how to get this, but the ABOG might be a start.

[expert@preeclampsia.org]

I am certain that there is not much in literature on this topic however in view of association with other issues with reduced exposure to paternal antigen (pregnancy with minimal sexual exposure to father), first pregnancies, and barrier contraception and perhaps oocyte recipients (although these women are usually older) that it is likely when neither maternal not paternal antigens are familiar as in surrogacy that this is very likely an explanation for preeclampsia.


Is my chance increased for developing PE with any pregnancy from now on?
UNIKELY ALTHOUGH NOT IMPOSSIBLE AS AN INTERCURRENT VASCULAR PROBLEM MIGHT HAVE OCCURRED SINCE HER LAST PREGNACY -SEEMS PRETTY UNLIKELY.

Do you think that the PE in this case is related to the genetic make up of the embryo which was not mine at all?
YES AS I EXPLAINED ABOVE

Do you think I could become a surrogate for another couple and have a normal pregnancy since my own was normal?
NO GUARANTEE BUT NOT INEVITABLE.