From 2007 to 2020, pregnancy outcomes improved over time among patients with axial spondyloarthritis, coinciding with an increase in the use of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs during the same time period, according to a paper published by Morin et al in The Lancet Rheumatology. In the Swedish study, women with axial spondyloarthritis were matched 1:10 on year of delivery, maternal age, and parity to women without axial spondyloarthritis. Though women with axial spondyloarthritis were found to be at increased risk for several adverse pregnancy outcomes—including preterm birth, preeclampsia, elective cesarean section, and infant infection—over the study period, these risks decreased and became closer to levels found in the general population. The study authors concluded, “If the current rate of improvement is maintained, women with axial spondyloarthritis treated in accordance with clinical guidelines might eventually not be at an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes.”
May 25, 2023