According to recent research published in the Journal of Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine, maternal women with rheumatoid arthritis exhibit higher possibility of conflicting maternal and neonatal consequences. The research was a retrospective cohort study done by using Utilization Project – National Inpatient Sample (HCUP-NIS) and Healthcare Cost from the USA. All births from 2004 to 2013 were analysed, and ICD-9 coding was used to classify women with or without RA. The adjusted impact of RA on maternal and neonatal consequences using unconditional logistic regression.

Out of 8,417,607 births, 6068 were found to be of RA women with an overall incidence of 72 per 100,000 births. A progressive increase in RA was seen during pregnancy with 47 to 100 per 100,000 across the 10-year study span. Furthermore, women with RA exhibited a higher incidence of gestational diabetes, placental abruption and placenta previa, pre-eclampsia/eclampsia, preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) and to deliver by caesarean section as compared to non-RA women. RA-complicated and postpartum pregnancies were correlated with thromboembolism and wound complications. Also, women with RA exhibited more small for gestational age, congenital anomalies and preterm birth. Therefore, women with RA during pregnancy should be made informed of these risks.