Lupus and Rheumatoid Arthritis Raise Pregnancy Risks
According to a study presented at the annual scientific meeting of the American College of Rheumatology in November 2005, pregnant women with lupus or rheumatoid arthritis may experience more pregnancy complications and longer hospitalizations than other women. Stanford University researchers compared delivery outcomes and hospitalizations for nearly 3,300 women with lupus and more than 1,400 women with rheumatoid arthritis to women in the general obstetric population. The study revealed that women with either lupus or rheumatoid arthritis had higher rates of hypertensive disorders, such as pre-eclampsia, than pregnant women in the general obstetric population. These women also faced higher rates of intrauterine growth restriction, premature rupture of membranes, and Cesarean delivery. As a result, women with either lupus or rheumatoid arthritis require careful monitoring throughout pregnancy, labor, and delivery beyond what is routinely undertaken.
Click here for an article that discusses this study, and visit the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases and the Arthritis Foundation websites for more information about these conditions and pregnancy in general.