Assisted Reproductive Technologies Outcomes in Women With Rheumatic Diseases: A Retrospective Cohort Study

The multisystem nature of rheumatic diseases (RDs) as well as their treatments can affect pregnancy and its prognosis. The use of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) can increase the probability of fertility in RDs. The aim of this study was to compare ART outcomes in women with versus without RDs.

This retrospective cohort study was carried out between August 2023 and August 2024. Using medical records and documents, the ART outcomes of women with and without RDs were included. The descriptive statistics were provided as mean ± SD, number, and percentage. The distribution status of demographic and clinical variables was done through Mann-Whitney and Chi-squared or Fisher's exact test (for qualitative variables) and the confounder variables were adjusted. Data analysis was performed at a significance level of 5% using SPSS 25 software.

A total of 194 women with 334 cycles of ART were included; 62 participants were with RDs while 132 were without RDs. This study demonstrated that women with RDs are at a significantly higher risk of miscarriage (OR = 5.27, CI 1.28 to 21.75, p = 0.021) and inadequate gestational weight gain during pregnancy (OR = 2.25, CI 1.06 to 4.75, p = 0.034) compared to those without RDs. Additionally, fetal/neonatal complications did not show significant differences between the two groups. However, studies with larger sample sizes may yield different results regarding fetal/neonatal outcomes.

These results emphasize the importance of personalized and multidisciplinary care for women with RDs, particularly during pregnancy, to manage risks and improve maternal and fetoneonatal outcomes.