MBBS (Cal), MD (PGI, CHD), FICOG, FMAS, FIAOG, FIMSA ,Urogynae Specialist, High Risk Pregnancy Specialist
Principal, PKG Medical College & Hospital, Newtown
Former Professor & HOD of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, IPGMER - SSKM Hospital, Kolkata
For Appointment Call - +91 94335 68544
Call Doctor - +91 98304 41302
What is Lupus Pregnancy?
Systematic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), commonly known as lupus, is a chronic autoimmune disease that can affect any part of the body. As it is in all autoimmune diseases, a person’s immune system is unable to differentiate bacteria, germs, viruses, and other pathogens from healthy cells and tissues, because of which it starts attacking healthy organs in the body.
Lupus is more common in women, and until recently, if a woman had lupus, pregnancy and safe delivery were out of the question for them. Even though with the disease, there are more risks of complications arising in the pregnancy, SLE and healthy gestation can be managed, with proper care and monitoring.
Another factor that can affect a pregnancy are lupus anticoagulant antibodies, which attack an essential component of cell membranes, called phospholipids, and can lead to serious pregnancy complications and even pregnancy loss.
Symptoms
Symptoms of lupus can range from mild to severe and generally have a tendency to appear and disappear. Many times, distinguishing between the symptoms of pregnancy and an SLE flare becomes quite challenging. This is because the many changes in bodily functions that take place in pregnancy can overlap with signs of the disease. During pregnancy, lupus flares can lead to:
• Fatigue
• Body pain
• Fever
• Butterfly-shaped redness across the cheeks and nose
• Hair loss in patches
Symptoms Common for Lupus and Pregnancy
In cases where lupus has affected certain major organs, people may also get symptoms like pain in the chest or problems with breathing.
Symptoms that people may display, which can be both, discomfort caused by pregnancy and a lupus flare, include:
• Swelling in the joints. Pregnancy tends to loosen the ligaments around the joints, which can lead to swelling.
• Pain in the joints or in the lower back.
• Swollen ankles, hands, or feet, which in pregnancy, are caused by the body’s increased fluid retention.
• Redness on the face, which is also called the pregnancy blush, is a result of the increased blood flow to the skin.
• Hair loss.
• Fatigue.
• Shortness of breath. During pregnancy, this is caused by the shifting of the diaphragm, which moves upwards to make room for a baby.
It is crucial for proper management and issue treatment in pregnancy and lupus to remain in regular contact with the doctor and if any of the mentioned symptoms can be noticed, it should immediately be reported to the doctor. Even if it is a flare of lupus, pregnancy risks and the flare will be easier to treat if detected early, which also lowers the risk of further complications for the mother and baby.
Lupus and Pregnancy: Complications that May Arise
While lupus can lead to complications at any point in a pregnancy, SLE flares are most common during the first trimester, and can potentially increase the risk of complications, like:
• Miscarriage
• Preterm delivery
• Premature rupture of the amniotic sac membrane
• Preeclampsia, a serious high blood pressure problem
• Intrauterine growth restriction
• Miscarriage or stillbirth
• Chances of developing infections
• Low platelet count
• Formation of unnecessary blood clots
• Neonatal lupus in the baby