Transient renal tubular acidosis in pregnancy

Renal tubular acidosis in pregnancy is a very rare disorder. Most cases are either inherited or secondary to maternal disease or ingestion of toxic ch emicals. We report a 22-year-old woman, previously healthy, who presented a t 27 weeks of gestation with preterm labor. Investigation revealed renal tu bular acidosis with no obvious etiology. Labor was stopped with various toc olytic drugs and her electrolyte imbalance was corrected. She was delivered at 36 weeks, by cesarean for a nonreassuring fetal heart tracing, of an ap propriate-for-gestational-age infant weighing 2905 g. Evaluation 3 and 6 mo nths postpartum revealed gradual, but complete resolution of the acidosis a nd electrolyte abnormality. The infant is now 7 months old, is growing norm ally with normal electrolytes, and with no evidence of acidosis.