title: Increased risk of preterm birth in women with autoimmune hepatitis - a nationwide cohort study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of our study was to investigate the risks of pregnancy and childbirth complications in women with autoimmune hepatitis compared to the population controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a nationwide cohort study of all pregnancies between 2006 and 2011 we investigated the risks of adverse pregnancy outcome in 171 births in women with diagnosed autoimmune hepatitis using the data from the Swedish Medical Birth and Patient Registries. Births to women without autoimmune hepatitis served as population controls (n = 576 642). Relative risks (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using Poisson regression models adjusting for potential confounders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Women with AIH had an increased risk of gestational diabetes (RR = 4.35, 95% CI 2.21-8.57), of preterm birth (RR = 3.21, 95% CI 1.97-4.92) and of low-birth-weight child (RR = 2.51, 95% CI 1.51-4.19). We found no statistically significant association between autoimmune hepatitis and pre-eclampsia, caesarean section, low 5-min Apgar score, small for gestational age birth, congenital malformation and neonatal mortality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Autoimmune hepatitis is a risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes. High quality prenatal and antenatal care is important for women with autoimmune hepatitis and their infants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Visby Hospital, Visby, Sweden.|Gastroenterology and Hepatology Unit, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Knut
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Stokkeland
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Örebro University Hospital, Örebro, Sweden.|Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Jonas F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Ludvigsson
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology and Hepatology Unit, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.|Division of Hepatology, Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Rolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hultcrantz
authors.affiliation: Clinical Epidemiology Unit, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Hospital and Institutet, Solna, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ekbom
authors.affiliation: Unit of Biostatistics, IMM, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Jonas
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0012-1211
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Höijer
authors.affiliation: Unit of Biostatistics, IMM, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bottai
authors.affiliation: Clinical Epidemiology Unit, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Hospital and Institutet, Solna, Stockholm, Sweden.|Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Hospital and Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Olof
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Stephansson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002585:Cesarean Section / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D019693:Hepatitis, Autoimmune / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: gestational diabetes; pre-eclampsia; stillbirth