title: Pregnancy in patients with undifferentiated connective tissue disease: a prospective case-control study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the outcome of pregnancy and disease flare or differentiation into well-defined connective tissue disease (CTD), in a cohort of pregnant patients with undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD) and to compare these findings with those obtained from a population of non-pregnant women with UCTD.
  
  
  METHODS
  In total, 55 pregnancies (in 50 UCTD patients) were monitored from the positive pregnancy test until the sixth month after delivery. Likewise, during a 15-month timeframe, the incidence of flares or evolution into a major CTD was also recorded in a population of 53 non-pregnant women with UCTD. The Student t-test was applied for unpaired, continuous variables and chi-square was applied when percentages were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean duration of the successful pregnancies was 38.6 weeks (range 28-42) while the mean birth weight was 3190 g (range 1200-4600 g). Three pregnancies (5.4%) ended in miscarriage. The following obstetric complications were found: five premature membrane ruptures, two preeclampsia and two intra-uterine growth restrictions. In a total of 16 patients (32%) the disease flared during pregnancy or during the 6-month post-delivery period. Of these, five developed well-defined CTD after delivery. In the control population, six patients flared (11%) and, of these, only one developed a well-defined CTD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  If pregnancy is properly treated, the outcome in UCTD patients is generally good while, considering disease activity, pregnancy appears to be a clear risk factor for flare up or evolution into well-defined CTD.
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Ferrara and Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria S. Anna, Ferrara, Italy. gabriella_castellino@yahoo.it
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Castellino
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Capucci
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bernardi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Padovan
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Giacuzzo
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pivato
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Patella
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Trotta
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Govoni
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003240:Connective Tissue Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012008:Recurrence; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult