medwireNews: Preliminary study results from the COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance suggest that pregnant women with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs) have generally favorable outcomes following SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Although the study was limited by small patient numbers, the findings “provide cautious optimism for pregnancy outcomes for women with rheumatic disease,” say Philip Robinson (Royal Brisbane & Women’s Hospital, Queensland, Australia) and co-authors.
They analyzed data from 39 women (average age 33 years) included in the registry in March 2020–January 2021. The most common RMDs were rheumatoid arthritis (n=9) and systemic lupus erythematosus (n=9); most were in remission (33.3%) or had minimal/low disease activity (46.2%).
Robinson et al report that 10 women were hospitalized, but only two required supplemental oxygen and there were no deaths. Among the 22 with pregnancy outcome data available, 72.7% had a term birth. There were 10 cesarean deliveries, eight vaginal deliveries, two not delivered at the time of reporting, one miscarriage, and one termination.
While these data suggest favorable outcomes in this patient group, the study was “purely descriptive,” and further evaluations will be carried out “to inform disease and pregnancy outcomes for women with rheumatic diseases who are pregnant and have COVID-19,” write the researchers in The Journal of Rheumatology.
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