Psoriatic Arthritis Does Not Add to Pregnancy Problems Save

When psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients become pregnant, they do not have more infertility or adverse pregnancy outcomes compared to healthy controls.

This study is relevant as the average onset age of PsA ranges between the 4th-6th decades of life and therefore includes a period of child-bearing potential.

Researchers from Tel Aviv and Toronto employed a questionnaire-based study, including demographic, fertility, pregnancy outcome, and disease activity questions, was conducted in PsA patients and healthy controls. The inclusion criterion was diagnosis of PsA before at least 1 pregnancy. 

A total of 74 PsA patients and 74 healthy controls were studied and included 151 pregnancies in PsA and 189 pregnancies in controls.  Both groups had similar baseline demographic characteristics.

Overall they found no differences with regard to:

• mean number of pregnancies, children, and infertility diagnoses
• live births (76% vs. 76%, P = 0.3),
• vaginal deliveries (48% vs. 51%, P = 0.6)
• gestation age (38.5 vs. 38.3, P = 0.3)
• infant weight at birth (3.4 kg vs. 3.4 kg, P = 0.5)
• rates of maternal and fetal complications
• duration and rate of breastfeeding.

More than half of PsA patiens (58%) reported favorable joint activity during pregnancy and 50% reported worsening during the 1st postpartum year.

These data are encouraging for PsA women planning to become pregnant.