Long-term Assessment of the Effects of Circumferential Truncal Burns in Pediatric Patients on Subsequent Pregnancies

Abstract

Longitudinal assessment of the long-term effects of pediatric circumferential truncal burns on subsequent pregnancies is poorly documented. Between December 1967 and August 1985, 75 female pediatric patients with circumferential truncal injuries were admitted to our institution. Twenty-two of these patients were available for long-term follow-up into early adulthood. Seven of these 22 patients had conceived. All seven patients had sustained flame-burn injuries. Mean age at injury was 7.66 +/- 2.12 years. Mean total body surface area of burns was 63.21% +/- 16.69%, with 44.21% +/- 17.54% of the injuries full thickness. Each patient was treated with excision and split-thickness skin grafting during initial hospitalization. In the group of seven patients there were 14 pregnancies. All infants were full term. There were 13 vaginal deliveries and one elective cesarean section. Prenatal complications were limited to one case in which a patient had sustained breakdown of scar tissue during the third trimester of pregnancy. There were no labor and delivery complications in this patient population. Circumferential truncal burns appear to have no impact on prenatal or labor and delivery complications.