RA Increases Risk Of Premature Birth In Pregnant Women

Pregnant women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are more likely to give birth prematurely than counterparts without the health issue.

Findings revealed that these mothers-to-be could be at about a two-fold risk for this problem. Fortunately, study measurements showed that babies born to mothers with (RA) were only slightly lower than those born to mothers without the condition.

"Obstetricians should be aware of the increased risk of preterm birth in women with RA and among those with preclinical signs of the disease," said lead study author Ane Rom, MPH, from Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark, in a news release.

Statistics show that RA affects nearly 1.5 million people in the United States, according to the Arthritis Foundation, chronically inflaming the joints and resulting in a variety of other conditions that be particularly harmful for pregnant women and their future children.

For the study, researchers examined data from 1.917,723 Danish children born between 1977 and 2008.

Findings revealed that children born to mothers with RA showed similar birth length and abdominal circumference when compared to those born to mothers who did not suffer from the health issue. Fortunately, any differences in growth or weight between the two were relatively small.

"For women with RA, we found only a small reduction in fetal growth in their babies, which has little impact on the children immediately following birth. The long term health effects for children born to mothers with RA need further investigation," she concluded.

More information regarding the findings can be seen via the journal Arthritis & Rheumatology.