The Effect of Lupus on Pregnancy and the Foetus: Should we really be Worried? A Single-Centre Retrospective Study

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), is common in women of childbearing age and is associated with obstetric complications. The aim of this study was to evaluate the course of pregnancy and its results in SLE patients with a history of pregnancy.

Pregnant patients with SLE who applied to the Rheumatology outpatient clinic of between 2010 and 2020 were retrospectively screened.

Fifty-five pregnancies of 31 SLE patients were included in the study. Spontaneous abortion was observed in 27.3% (n:15) and foetal loss in 18.2% (n:10). Neonatal loss or maternal death was not observed in any of the patients. The rate of patients with renal involvement was 34.5% (n:19), and the rate of exacerbation was higher in pregnant women with kidney involvement (26% vs 0% (p:0.006)). Antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS) was present in 32.7% (n:18) of the cases, and there was a history of foetal loss before diagnosis in 50% (n:9) of the cases with APS. The foetal loss was seen only in pregnant women with APS (55.6% (n:10) vs. 0% (n:0) (p<0.001)). Six (10.9%) of 55 pregnancies in our study were unplanned pregnancies. Of these, five resulted in abortion. Exacerbation was observed in 3 of the unplanned pregnancies.

Pregnancy complications were significantly lower in patients who were in remission since contraception. Exacerbations were more common in unplanned pregnancies and in patients with renal involvement. The presence of APS was associated with increased pregnancy morbidity.