Overview

• Women with sickle cell disease face a four- to eleven-fold higher risk of maternal death and increased rates of obstetric complications
• The guideline issues over 20 recommendations covering folic acid and iron supplementation, crisis and pain management, infection and clot prevention, prophylactic transfusions and fetal monitoring
• It underscores the need for respectful, individualized care plans to address stigma and adapt to each woman’s medical history and preferences
• The WHO calls for intensified research into the safety and efficacy of SCD treatments for pregnant and breastfeeding populations historically excluded from trials
• Approximately 7.7 million people live with sickle cell disease worldwide, with most cases concentrated in low- and middle-income, malaria-endemic regions