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There was a time when a lupus diagnosis meant a girl should delay or forego pregnancy. A
more comprehensive understanding of the disease and also improvements in technology
have made pregnancy and lupus viable over the past four decades.
Lupus is a chronic, autoimmune disorder that can damage many organs of the body including
skin, lungs, joints, arteries, the heart, kidneys, liver, and the nervous system. A normallyfunctioning immune system produces antibodies that protect the body against viruses,
bacteria, germs, as well as other pathogens. In lupus, your immune system creates
antibodies that attack both free radicals and healthy tissues, causing inflammation pain, and
damage. Lupus is a non-transmissible disease that usually strikes against women of
childbearing age. It's a disorder defined by flares where lupus symptoms become less
inconspicuous and debilitating; and by remissions when manifestations of the disorder
subside or vanish.
Pregnancy and lupus is extremely possible. Lupus will not diminish a woman's chances of
conceiving unless she's got past lupus treatment with the drug cyclophosphamide.
Appropriate planning is essential for attaining the perfect outcomes in cases in which a lady
has lupus. The optimum time to get pregnant is when the outward symptoms of lupus are in
remission. This, however, may not guarantee that flares may not recur during pregnancy.
Careful and close monitoring by your rheumatologist and maternal-fetal specialist is essential
to ensure that appropriate lupus treatment is administered.
Pregnant women with lupus are exposed to higher risk of premature delivery, high blood
pressure, emergency Caesarean section, hemorrhage in the lung or legs complications like
preeclampsia, and excessive blood loss after delivery. People that have antiphospholipid
antibodies have increased risk of developing preeclampsia, miscarriage, and premature birth.
Also, infants born to women with lupus are more likely to be of and premature low
birthweight.
Lupus and Pregnancy: Possible Complications
Toxemia of pregnancy, or preeclampsia, refers to a pregnancy complication which results to
other organ systems such as the kidneys to high blood pressure and manifestations of
damage. Other symptoms like blurred vision and severe headaches may also be common. In
pregnant women with blood pressure that is usually normal, a small increase might be a
precursor of preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is more prevalent among women with
antiphospholipid antibodies, diabetes mellitus, renal disorder, or individuals with past
experience of preeclampsia.
Treatment of preeclampsia includes inducing the girl to deliver the little one prematurely. In
the event the pregnancy has reached not reached its 34 th, delivery is generally postponed to
get a few days. Two doses of steroids are administered within 24-hour lung growth to
accelerate and reduce the threat of neonatal lung complications. In extreme scenarios where
the life of the mother or fetus is in danger, delivery could be scheduled immediately,
regardless of fetal age or viability.
The incidence of miscarriage is quite full of women with active systemic lupus erethymatosus
(SLE). Lupus nephritis, raised blood pressure levels, antiphospholipid antibodies, increased
quantities of anti-DNA antibodies, or a low platelet count may cause fetal stress and