In a Chinese study, patients with stable systemic lupus erythematosus for more than 1 year who underwent an assisted reproductive technology (ART) procedure—including ovarian stimulation, oocyte retrieval, in vitro fertilization, and transfer of the fertilized embryo into the uterus—had safe and effective outcomes following ART procedures. These findings were published by Lao et al in Arthritis Research & Therapy.
In the study, 322 ART cycles in 142 women with systemic lupus erythematosus were analyzed. Out of this group, there were 66 intrauterine pregnancies out of 72 clinical pregnancies that led to 65 live births, making the clinical pregnancy rate 46.5%, and 83.3% of the pregnancies ended in a successful delivery. Throughout this process, 10 patients experienced systemic lupus erythematosus flares (15.2%), with the majority—6 patients—experiencing them in the third trimester. There were significant incidences of premature delivery (31.8% of patients), gestational diabetes (22.2%), and low birth weight (30.8%). No neonatal deaths or cases of neonatal lupus were reported. The study authors concluded, “ART is safe and yields satisfactory outcomes in lupus patients with stable disease for more than 1 year under close surveillance by a multidisciplinary team. Maternal and fetal adverse pregnancy outcomes are comparable with planned pregnancy and reduced significantly compared with unplanned pregnancy. The incidences of premature delivery, gestational diabetes mellitus, and low birth weight infants, however, are still high.”