Pregnancy Outcome in Patients with Primary Sjögren's Syndrome. A Case-Control Study

HANS-JACOB HAGA, CLARA GRAM GJESDAL, HEGE SVEAN KOKSVIK, JOHAN FREDRIK SKOMSVOLL, LORENTZ M. IRGENS, and MONIKA ÖSTENSEN

ABSTRACT.

Objective. To study the outcome of pregnancy in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS).

Methods. A questionnaire covering demographic data and the outcome of pregnancies was answered by 58 patients with pSS and 157 controls. For 36 patients and 93 controls, we analyzed detailed data about pregnancy, birth, and status of the newborn from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway (MFR) for birth order one, 2, and 3. Thirty-two of 36 patients registered in MFR were diagnosed with pSS after the last birth.

Results. Pregnancy outcomes were not different in patients compared to controls. Two patients (3.4%) reported giving birth to a child with congenital heart block.

Conclusion. PSS had no impact on pregnancy outcome before disease onset. The most important condition associated with pSS in anti-SSA positive mothers was congenital heart block in the offspring. (J Rheumatol 2005;32:1734-6)

Key Indexing Terms:

SJÖGREN'S SYNDROME
PREGNANCY

---

From the Department of Rheumatology, Esbjerg Central Hospital, 6700 Esbjerg, Denmark; Department of Rheumatology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen; the Department of Rheumatology, Center for Mothers with Rheumatic Diseases, University Hospital of Trondheim, Trondheim; the Medical Birth Registry of Norway, Locus of Registry Based Epidemiology, University of Bergen, and Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Bergen, Norway; and the Department of Rheumatology, University Hospital of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.

Supported by Lion Norway's Red Feather Foundation for Rheumatological Diseases, The Aslaug Andersen Foundation, Stord Rheumatism Association, Kvinnherrad Rheumatism Association, and Else Mustad's Foundation.

H-J. Haga, MD, PhD, Professor of Rheumatology, Esbjerg Central Hospital; C.G. Gjesdal, MD, Consultant, Department of Rheumatology, Haukeland University Hospital; H.S. Koksvik, RN/MPH; J.F. Skomsvoll, MD, PhD, Consultant, Department of Rheumatology, Center for Mothers with Rheumatic Diseases, University Hospital of Trondheim; L.M. Irgens, MD, PhD, Professor of Medicine, Locus of Registry Based Epidemiology, University of Bergen; M. Östensen, MD, PhD, Professor of Rheumatology, University Hospital of Bern.

Address reprint requests to Dr. H-J. Haga, Esbjerg Central Hospital, Finsensgade 35, DK-6700 Esbjerg, Denmark. E-mail: HJH@ribeamt.dk.

Accepted for publication May 5, 2005.

---