Lupus & Pregnancy

Posted By Braverman IVF & Reproductive Immunology || 12-Jun-2012

A common misconception about Lupus is that women with the disease cannot have healthy pregnancies. The truth is that a majority of women with Lupus can have very healthy pregnancies, but the pregnancy needs to be planned and managed carefully. Women who have Lupus and get pregnant are considered to be in a group for high-risk pregnancies. The more common problems that arise with Lupus are pre-term delivery, pre-clampsia, and pre-mature rupture of membranes. Some women with Lupus may also have increased risk of pregnancy loss.

Lupus symptoms can flare-up during pregnancy. Flares do not decrease during pregnancy. Symptoms can be managed pretty well with medications that are safe during pregnancy. It's best to pick-up flares early in pregnancy versus later on when they can be more severe. The best time to plan your pregnancy with Lupus is when your symptoms are in remission. Also, you should begin discussing your plans to get pregnant with your doctor at least three to six months before you try to get pregnant.

Patients with autoimmune syndromes like Lupus have a more difficult time developing immune tolerance to their embryos, as they have lost some of the ability to tolerate their own cells. We are working all the time to perfect diagnosis and treatment for this.

I encourage you to bring your questions to our discussion forum at discussion-forum.html or email them to me.

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