Offspring of RA Women Have Higher Risk of RA and Other Diseases Save

Despite a growing body of evidence suggesting that maternal health is more important than maternal medications to fetal and infant outcomes, little is known about the long term oucomes of infants born to mothers with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Using Danish population data, researchers have shown in utero exposure to maternal RA is associated with an increased risk of thyroid disease, and an increased risk of future RA.

Using Danish health registries that included all children born alive in Denmark between 1989 and 2013, they identified 2106 children born by women with RA (exposed), and 1,378,539 children born by women without RA (unexposed).

Children exposed to maternal RA exhibited a 2-3 fold higher risk of  thyroid diseases (HR 2.19; 95% CI, 1.14 – 4.21), epilepsy (HR 1.61; 95% CI, 1.16 – 2.25), and RA (HR 2.89; 2.06 – 4.05).

The risk of anxiety, personality disorders, chronic lung disease and asthma were ranged from 1.15 - 1.16, but were not significant.

These findings have several limitations: 1) data only analyzed live birth data; 2) there is no report or analysis of maternal disease activity (or other factors) on fetal outcomes; and 3) data did not analyze the effects of treatment or socioeconomic status on outcomes. 

Clinicians, patients and regulatory agencies are keenly focused on these outcomes and more detailed research is needed to further assess the impact of disease, drugs and health during pregnancy on long-term offspring development and outcomes.