PREGNANCY IN WOMEN WITH AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES – FETAL OUTCOMES

Andreea Grațiana Boiangiu; Anca Bobircă; Andra Bălănescu; Simona Popescu; Sorina Nechita; Mona Zvanca; Radu Vlădăreanu; Simona Vlădăreanu

doi:10.33695/rjcr.v5i1.89

Andreea Grațiana Boiangiu “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania & Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, “Elias” University Hospital, Bucharest, Romania
Anca Bobircă “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania & Internal Medicine and Rheumatology Department, “Dr. I. Cantacuzino” Clinical Hospital, Bucharest, Romania
Andra Bălănescu “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania & Internal Medicine and Rheumatology Department “Sf. Maria” Hospital, Bucharest, Romania
Simona Popescu
Sorina Nechita University Emergency Hospital of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
Mona Zvanca “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania & Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, “Elias” University Hospital, Bucharest, Romania
Radu Vlădăreanu “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania & Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, “Elias” University Hospital, Bucharest, Romania
Simona Vlădăreanu “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania & Neonatology Department, “Elias” University Hospital, Bucharest, Romania

DOI: https://doi.org/10.33695/rjcr.v5i1.89

Keywords: pregnancy, autoimmune disease, complications, immunosuppression, inflammation

Abstract

Pregnancy is known to induce dramatic neuroendocrine and immune changes to the female body, adjusting the elements and the functions of the cellular and humoral system and therefore, creating an immunosuppressive state in order to support nidation, placenta fixation and fetal development. These adjustments are necessary in order to promote maternal tolerance to the fetus and, unfortunately, they are known to set off a rheumatic disease and create pregnancy complications along the way. The present study was designed in order to observe clinical and paraclinical changes in pregnant women with and without an underlying autoimmune rheumatic or gastrointestinal disease and to evaluate the fetal growth and development along with appraising the risk of complications. The study included a group of 70 patients and a control group of 995 cases. The study showed that there are no statistically significant differences regarding the clinical and paraclinical maternal and fetal parameters evaluated in the groups examined. The risk of complications during pregnancy, such as preeclampsia and intra-uterine growth restriction, is higher in women with underlying autoimmune diseases, but the difference is not significant. An important result of the study is the proven higher risk of developing chromosomal abnormalities (trisomy 13, 18 and 21) in pregnancies associated with autoimmune conditions.

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