Common Maternal Genetic Syndromes III: Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome

Abstract

The purpose of this work is to improve the basis upon which advice on pregnancy is given to women with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) and to address issues of obstetric management by drawing upon the accumulated world experience. Although, overall, pregnancy in EDS is well tolerated, with good outcomes, the rate of maternal and perinatal complications is higher and every pregnancy in these women remains a high-risk pregnancy. The obstetrical outcomes are influenced by the type of EDS and the specific underlying abnormalities. The older numeric classification of EDS has been largely abandoned and it was replaced by the 2017 descriptive international classification. Based on this new classification, we are briefly describing the most common EDS types and consider the management implications imposed by pregnancy and delivery.   This review contains 2 figures, 1 table, and 36 references. Keywords: Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, EDS types, pregnancy, delivery, EDS classification, counseling, genetic screening, neonatal outcomes