Perinatal outcome in pregnancies of women with connective tissue disease and inflammatory rheumatic disease in Norway

Perinatal outcome in infants of women with rheumatic disease notified betwe en 1967-95 to the Medical Birth Registry of Norway was compared to women wi thout such disease. Logistic regression provided odds ratios for associatio ns between rheumatic disease and perinatal outcome for 3 time periods: 1967 -76, 1977-86, and 1987-95. Women with rheumatic disease had significantly h igher rates of preterm birth than references and this was only partly corre lated to the increased occurrence of preeclampsia. The risk of small for ge stational age (SGA) infants was significantly higher both in women with con nective tissue disease (CTD) and inflammatory arthritides. The proportion o f infants with Apgar scare <= 6 after 1 minute and 5 minutes was significan tly increased in the CTD group indicating moderate to severe fetal asfyxia. The rate of perinatal mortality was high in the CTD group and postperinata l mortality was increased in infants horn to mothers with rheumatic disease . Thus, rheumatic disease not only comprises pregnancy outcome, but increas es the risk of adverse perinatal outcome.