Impact of maternal rheumatic diseases on fetal and neonatal outcomes delivering in a Tertiary Care Hospital.

Abstract

Objective: To determine the impact of rheumatic diseases on fetal and neonatal outcomes. Study Design: Prospective, Observational study. Setting: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Neonatology, and Rheumatology, Fatima Memorial Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan. Period: January 2023 to January 2024. Methods: A total of 61 pregnant women aged 20-40 years, with rheumatological illnesses, and having gestational age of 12 weeks or more were analyzed. Maternal demographics, clinical characteristics, and gestational age at time of study entry were documented. The neonatal outcomes such as birth weight, gestational age, NICU stay, and mortality were documented. Data analysis was performed using IBM-SPSS Statistics, version 26.0. With the significance level set at p < 0.05, the chi-square test or Fisher's exact test were utilized to evaluate associations between categorical data. Results: In a total of 61 females, the mean age, gestational age, and duration of rheumatic illness at the time of enrollment were 30.13 ± 4.50 years, 25.45±9.19 weeks, and 25.48±5.29 years, respectively. The most common rheumatic disease were systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis, and syndrome of antiphospholipids, found in 24 (39.3%), 11 (18.0%), and 8 (13.1%) females, respectively. The mean birth weight was 2492.13±820.0 grams while, 20 (32.8%) newborns had low birth weight. Live-birth was reported in 55 (90.2%) cases. Conclusion: Systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, and syndrome of antiphospholipids were the most common rheumatic diseases among pregnant females. The risk of adverse outcomes in pregnant females with rheumatic diseases seems high.