Volume 29, Issue 162, August 2025

Adverse pregnancy outcomes in patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases. A literature review

Julia Ciechanowicz^1♦, Stanisław Ciechanowicz¹, Julia Dura², Marika Gutowska³, Piotr Kupidłowski⁴, Agata Nowacka³, Adrianna Perzanowska⁵, Aleksandra Przybylska³, Zuzanna Tomaszewska⁵, Anna Zielińska⁶

¹University Clinical Hospital in Poznan, 1/2 Długa Street, 61-848 Poznań, Poland
²The Provincial Hospital in Poznan, 7/19 Juraszów Street, 60-479 Poznań, Poland
³Józef Struś Multi-Specialist Municipal Hospital, 3 Szwajcarska Street, 61-285 Poznań, Poland
⁴Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 70 Bukowska Street, 60-812 Poznań, Poland
⁵Praski Hospital in Warsaw, 67 Solidarności Avenue, 03-401 Warsaw, Poland
⁶Czerniakowski Hospital, 19/25 Stępinska Street, 00-739 Warsaw, Poland

^♦Corresponding author
Julia Ciechanowicz, University Clinical Hospital in Poznan, 1/2 Długa Street, 61-848 Poznan, Poland

ABSTRACT

Autoimmune rheumatic diseases are chronic disorders with increasing prevalence and frequently affecting women in their reproductive period. Inflammatory rheumatic disorders influence the risk of developing adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs) among these patients. This review aims to summarize both maternal and fetal complications in women with different rheumatic diseases. The article analyzes the literature from the scientific databases and prioritizes the most recent meta-analyses and systematic reviews. We described the most common inflammatory rheumatic conditions, including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PA), Sjὅgren’s Syndrome (SS), systemic sclerosis (SSc), ankylosing spondylitis (AS), idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM), and systemic vasculitides. The majority of discussed rheumatic diseases increase the risk of maternal complications such as preeclampsia, preterm delivery, cesarean delivery (CD), but also hypertensive disorders and gestational diabetes. Mothers with autoimmune diseases have an elevated risk of developing fetal complications, including small for gestational age (SGA) and low birth weight (LBW). Some APOs are associated with higher activity of the underlying disease or greater medication use. In summary, the findings of this article indicate that women with autoimmune rheumatic diseases have an increased risk of APOs. Female patients affected by inflammatory disorders require special care from health professionals, especially during the preconception period and pregnancy.

Keywords: adverse outcomes; pregnancy; rheumatic disease; autoimmune disease

Medical Science, 2025, 29, e138ms3648

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi.v29i162.e138ms3648

Published: 21 August 2025