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P.370 Pregnancy and obstetric history in women with systemic sclerosis: a retrospective study from a single tertiary centre

jsrd · 2026-06-05 · canonical JSON source

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Introduction Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune disease characterised by fibrosis and vasculopathy, predominantly affecting women of reproductive age. Pregnancy in this population poses notable clinical challenges, with evidence indicating an increased risk of adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes (1-5). This study aims to characterise pregnancy and obstetric outcomes in our cohort of women with SSc.Material and Methods This was a retrospective, observational, single-centre study including women with SSc enrolled in the Portuguese National Registry of Rheumatic Patients (Reuma.pt). Eligible participants were aged 18 years or older and fulfilled the 2013 revised classification criteria of the American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism. Clinical and obstetric data were obtained from Reuma.pt and, when necessary, supplemented through telephone interviews. A descriptive analysis was performed using means and standard deviations for continuous variables and absolute and relative frequencies for categorical variables.Results A total of 91 women with SSc were included, with a mean age of 57,8 ± 12,4 years. The mean age at menarche was 12,5 ± 1,6 years. Approximately 64,8% were postmenopausal, with a mean age at menopause of 48,8 ± 7,7 years. Previous use of oral contraceptives was reported by 69,2% of women, while current use was infrequent (16,5%). The average age at conception was 24,6 ± 5,2 years and infertility was reported by only 2,2% of participants. On average, women reported 1,7 ± 1,1 pregnancies and 1,4 ± 0,9 live births, aligning the national average of 1,44 children per woman in Portugal (2023) (6). Notably, 57,1% of pregnancies occurred prior to SSc diagnosis, 12,1% post-diagnosis, and 30,8% of women reported no pregnancies, the latter consistent with previous reports of higher nulliparity rates in SSc patients (7). Most deliveries were eutocic (46,2%), with dystocic deliveries accounting for 24,2%. Preterm birth and low birth weight were reported in 5,5% and 7,7% of pregnancies, respectively. Breastfeeding was common (69,2%), with a mean duration of 7,5 ± 7,8 months. Early miscarriages (before 10 weeks) occurred in 9,9% of pregnancies, while foetal and neonatal deaths were rare (3,3%). Other pregnancy complications – including gestational diabetes (3,3%), pre-eclampsia (5,5%) and congenital malformations (2,2%) – were uncommon.Conclusions Favourable pregnancy outcomes are attainable in women with SSc, with low rates of infertility and complications. These findings contrast slightly with studies reporting higher complication rates, despite an overall declining trend in recent years (4, 5, 8, 9). Study limitations include its retrospective design. Preconception counselling and multidisciplinary care remain essential (8).Abstract P.370 Table 1Clinical characteristics of women with systemic sclerosis