Women With Axial Spondyloarthritis have an increased risk of Pregnancy Complications: Study

Understanding of Axial Spondyloarthritis is evolving rapidly. Unfortunately, for women with Axial Spondyloarthritis,an  there is limited data available on pregnancy complications. The Ankylosing Spondylitis Registry of Ireland (ASRI) is a source of epidemiological data on Axial Spondyloarthritis in Ireland. The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of pregnancy and foetal complications in Axial Spondyloarthritis women.

The Ankylosing Spondylitis Registry of Ireland (ASRI) records cross-sectional information on demographics, imaging, treatment, and patient outcomes. A dedicated section collects data on pregnancy, fertility and breastfeeding. For each Axial Spondyloarthritis woman, data on all pregnancies was recorded. Results were compared to global reference norms (GRN). All patients were diagnosed with Axial Spondyloarthritis by a Rheumatologist and met the ASAS classification criteria. Informed consent was obtained from all patients, with ethical approval obtained from local hospital ethics committees.

Results:

Data was available on 98 women with Axial Spondyloarthritis. There were 335 pregnancies resulting in 279 live births. Of these pregnancies 51.6% (173) were uncomplicated and 48.5% (162) were complicated, with 13.1% (44) encountering multiple complications. Preterm birth (12.5 % vs 5.2%, p<0.01) and preeclampsia (6.8 % vs 2.8%, p<0.01) were more prevalent in Axial Spondyloarthritis pregnancies than GRN. Low birth weight was more prevalent in Axial Spondyloarthritis pregnancies (8.2 % vs 2.9%, p<0.01), however small for gestational age was less prevalent (5.4 % vs 11%, p<0.01).

Thus, preterm birth, preeclampsia and low birth weight are significantly more prevalent in pregnancies of Axial Spondyloarthritis women. Furthermore, there is a high prevalence of complications in Axial Spondyloarthritis pregnancies overall. These results provide essential insight into the impact of Axial Spondyloarthritis in pregnancy and call for further research to understand the pathogenesis of these complications.

Reference:

What to expect when women with axial spondyloarthritis are expecting: Prevalence of complications of pregnancies in women with axial spondyloarthritis by Sinead Maguire et al. published in Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35339842/