Arthritis And Pregnancy

Pregnancy and arthritis are linked to each other where the effects vary with the type of arthritis prevailing. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis will be free of flare-ups during pregnancy, however these would return when the pregnancy is over. So, unfortunately pregnancy is not a cure.

Chances that the newborn would have arthritis

• With most forms of arthritis, the chances of passing it on to your children are not very high
• Osteoarthritis generally does not have a strong tendency to be passed on. However, if the mother suffers from Herberden’s nodes then the chances for the daughter to develop them in her later years are as high as 50%. Chances that a male child would inherit are much lesser.
• Although there is some trend for rheumatoid arthritis to cluster within families, the tendency to pass it on from parent to child is not very strong
• If the mother suffers from lupus, the child to have it is as less as only 1%

The most visible effects on pregnancy are that of lupus. They are outlined below.

There is a higher risk of miscarriage if somebody also suffers from lupus. In normal circumstances, the complication of miscarriage can take place in the 12th week. Due to lupus the time extends to a period of 24th week.

It is preferable that the pregnancy is well planned so that doctors and obstetric team can work closely together. Timely scans should be performed to see for any complications that might occur.

Problems that can occur with lupus in later pregnancy

• Blood pressure may shoot up. High blood pressure can cause severe headaches and visual disturbances.
• Baby may not grow as fast as normal (growth retardation).
• Waters may break much earlier than usual or the patient can go into labour early (pre-term delivery).

Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is very nourishing for the baby. Even a few weeks of breastfeeding can enormously improve the health of the baby and stabilize him/her. Drugs that the mother is taking may pass on into the milk, so it is advisable to take as less as possible drugs during breastfeeding.