Number of births, interpregnancy interval, and subsequent pregnancy rate after a diagnosis of inflammatory rheumatic disease in Norwegian women.
OBJECTIVE
To study female reproduction, i.e., number of births, subsequent pregnancy rate, and interpregnancy interval after diagnosis of inflammatory rheumatic disease.


METHODS
In a national population based cohort study, reproduction in mothers with rheumatic disease, registered with the Medical Birth Registry of Norway 1967-1995, were compared to mothers without such diagnoses.


RESULTS
After diagnosis, women with rheumatic disease had a statistically significant lower mean number of births, a shorter time span of reproduction, longer interpregnancy intervals, and a reduced subsequent pregnancy rate.


CONCLUSIONS
Altered reproduction observed in women with a rheumatic disease might reflect various mechanisms not accounted for in this study, but possibly related to the disease process, functional impairment, or medical treatment.
Skomsvoll
J F
JF
Department of Rheumatology, Center for Mothers with Rheumatic Disease, University Hospital of Trondheim, Norway. johan.skomsvoll@medisin.ntnu.no
Ostensen
M
M
Baste
V
V
Irgens
L M
LM
D000328:Adult; D001721:Birth Intervals; D001723:Birth Rate; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012042:Registries; D012216:Rheumatic Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*