ISSN: 2161-1149 (Printed)
Hameed Abdullah Rekani*, Nazdar Raouf
Background: Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune and inflammatory disease, mainly attacks the joints, usually many joints at once, and organs such as the lungs, heart, and eyes. The course of rheumatoid arthritis often changes during pregnancy. Objective: The aim of the study was to assess whether pregnant women with rheumatoid arthritis and her baby are at high risk for adverse outcomes.
Methods: This a case-control study was conducted at the Duhok Obstetrics and Gynecology Teaching Hospital and Kurdistan Private Hospital in Iraqi Kurdistan between March 2016 and November 2020. The study included seventytwo pregnant women, they were divided into two groups; study group or (Rheumatoid arthritis group) and control group or (Non-Rheumatoid arthritis group). Both groups were compared regarding a baseline characteristics and maternal with neonatal outcomes. The data were statistically analyzed using a software package, current versions IBM (SPSS) Statistic.
Results: During the study period, from March 2016 and November 2020, Thirty-two pregnant women had RA were compared with the control group included 40 pregnant women who had not the disease group. There was significant difference between both groups regarding the female age. Pregnant women who had RA had lower parity and a higher number of pregnancy loss as well as more likely to smoke. The RA group was highly significant had a history of a previous cesarean delivery, and history of co-morbidities. Neonates of mothers who had RA commonly had small for gestational age and preterm babies.
Conclusion: Pregnant women with RA are associated with a higher risk of adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes, and she regarded as a high-risk pregnancy.