Vasculitis & polymyalgia rheumatica
Beyond pregnancy in systemic autoimmune diseases: a focus on postpartum experience from a referral centre
Authors' conclusion
The postpartum period is high-risk in SAD patients.
Study context
- Population
- Pregnancies in patients with systemic autoimmune diseases (SAD) at a referral centre: Connective tissue diseases (CTDs) 80.2%, inflammatory arthritis 14.2%, vasculitis 5.5%
- Participants
- 253 pregnancies
- Outcome
- Incidence and types of complications (disease flares and other clinical events) postpartum
- Follow-up
- Within 60 days postpartum
Methodological detailsprospectively collected data, single-centre
- Prospectively collected data
- Single-centre
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Postpartum complications
Any postpartum complication
50
19.8%
Flares
42
16.6%
Other complications
12
4.7%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Flare rate by diagnosis
P < 0.01
Flare rate by diagnosis
- Severe flares occurred only in CTD or vasculitis
Flares associated with active disease during pregnancy
- Flares associated with active disease during pregnancy
- P < 0.01
Non-flare complications by diagnosis
- Did not differ by diagnosis
Breastfeeding at postpartum visit
- Breastfeeding
- 147 (58.5%)
- Contraindicated to breastfeed due to therapies, among 42 with flares
- 4
Postpartum visit performed
- Postpartum visit performed
- 234 (92.5%)
Safety
Other (non-flare) postpartum complications · within 60 days postpartum
- Hypertension
- 6
- Postpartum hemorrhages (two on LDA/LMWH)
- 4
- Clostridium difficile infection
- 1
- ICU admission for HELLP syndrome
- 1
Original publication
Beyond pregnancy in systemic autoimmune diseases: a focus on postpartum experience from a referral centre. Rheumatology (Oxford). Published 10 July 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →