In this third excerpt from the ACR guidelines on managing reproductive health issues in rheumatic disease patients, we present recommendations regarding the use of glucocorticoids and guidance on lactation and medication use post-partum.

A recent article from Healio.com reviewed the FDA’s Pregnancy and Lactation Labeling Rule (PLLR) that became effective June 30th. This rule applies only to currently marketed prescription drug products available in the United States and does not affect the labeling of drug products available over-the-counter.

The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) has published guidelines to manage reproductive health issues in rheumatic disease (RMD) patients before, during and after pregnancy.

Rheumatoid arthritis affects women in their child-bearing years and many will face the issue of pregnancy and RA management at some point. Here are11 considerations for those managing RA patients who wish to become pregnant.

The American College of Rheumatology established a guidelines committee that consisted of both patients, rheumatologists and maternal-fetal health experts. After a a systematic review of the medical literature regarding contraception, assisted reproductive technology, fertility preservation, hormone replacement therapy pregnancy, lactation, and medication use in rheumatic disease patients, they published 12 good practice statements and 131

Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) helped reduce recurrent maternal autoantibody-mediated congenital heart block (CHB) in fetuses, an open-label study suggested. Anti-SSA/Ro-positive mothers who had had a previous pregnancy complicated by CHB who took HCQ 400 mg daily, starting before completion of gestational week 10, had a 7.4% rate of clinically-relevant fetal CHB (second- or third-degree) at any time during the pregnancy.