MISCARRIAGES IN WOMEN WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS IN AL-HILLA PROVINCE

Abstract

Rheumatoidarthritis is a long term disorder which is mostly affects the joints leading to joint swelling, stiffness& loss of function, mostly affects fingers& wrist. The risk of pregnancy complications is slightly higherfor women with rheumatoid arthritis than healthy women. The aim is to evaluate the rate of miscarriages in women with rheumatoid arthritis attending rheumatologic clinic at Marjan Hospital. The sample of women attending rheumatoid clinic was 1688, only 318 of them were with RA and 10 women were excluded as they receiving methotrexate during pregnancy. All those included in study were receiving folic acid, stop methotrexate and were diagnosed adopting ACR criteria 2010.Their age was between 15-50 years. They were compared to control group (300) attending obstetric department through the period of 12Dec 2016 to 12 Dec 2018. Those women evaluated through full history and physical examination including: age, parity, No. of miscarriages, family history of RA and laboratory test including rheumatoid factor, ESR, C-RP, Anti cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP), X-ray imaging& assessed clinically through DAS28.The data was collected according to format which was analyzed statistically ®istered. All groups were comparable in their demographic criteria.Among 318 women with Rheumatoid arthritis, only 59 women had miscarriages (18.6%) per pregnancies while in control group was 19.7% which are comparable to that of general population. The majority of patients with Rheumatoid arthritis were multiparous(40.3%). As well as most of them had one or two miscarriage (84.7%). There is significant difference in mean age study groupamong women who had miscarriage than those without miscarriages P-value 0.002. As well asthere was no relation of those women with miscarriages with positive family history(3.5%). The miscarriages rate of patients with rheumatoid arthritis was of low frequency that is mean the disease itself has no effecton No. of miscarriage in comparison to normal population in Iraq. Witiwit et al (2021): Miscarriage in women with RA Feb 2021 Vol. 24 Issue 2 http://doi.org/10.36295/ASRO.2021.24238 Health Medicine & Public Annals of Tropical