title: Pregnancy and rheumatoid arthritis: an overview.
abstract: The literature concerning the relationship of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) to pregnancy is reviewed. The amelioration of RA during pregnancy is a complex process. No specific factor that causes amelioration and is amenable to therapeutic intervention has been identified. Either RA is associated with lower fertility/fecundity, or pregnancy induces a protective effect against the development of the disease. The biological mechanism of these findings is not established.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, St. Bartholomew's Hospital, London.
authors.forename: T D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Spector
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Da Silva
mesh_terms: D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid; D005260:Female; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D012075:Remission, Spontaneous
chemical_list: D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones