Lupus and Pregnancy: A 5-Question Quiz

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is associated with a number of serious complications during pregnancy. Take this 5-question quiz to see how much you know.

Question 1.

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Answer: D. 20 times higher

A national study of complications of lupus in pregnancy retrospectively evaluated risks of maternal mortality from more than 16.7 million admissions for childbirth over 4 years; 13,555 of the admissions were for women with SLE. The rate of maternal mortality in women with SLE was 20-fold higher than among those without SLE.¹

Question 2.

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Answer: E. All of the above

SLE is associated with a range of serious pregnancy complications that affect both fetal and maternal outcomes.²

Question 3.

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Answer: A. If they are in remission or have stable low disease activity

It is considered safe for women with SLE to plan a pregnancy when disease is in remission or disease activity is low and remains stable, although medications should be carefully reviewed and adjusted as necessary.²

Question 4.

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Answer: D. 4 to 6 months

A retrospective study showed that a waiting period of only 4 months (compared with earlier standards of at least 6 months) is sufficient to improve pregnancy outcomes.³

Question 5.

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Answer: C. It affects 30% to 40% of all neonates born with SLE.

The incidence of NLE is actually about 5% to 10%.⁴

References:

1. Clowse ME, Jamison M, Myers E, James AH. A national study of the complications of lupus in pregnancy. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2008;199:127.e1-6.

2. Knight CL, Nelson-Piercy C. Management of systemic lupus erythematosus during pregnancy: challenges and solutions. Open Access Rheumatol. 2017;9:37-53.

3. Pearl E, Clowse ME. Systemic lupus erythematosus and pregnancy outcomes: an update and review of the literature. Curr Opin Rheumatol. 2014;26:118-123.

4. Teng YKO, Bredewold EOW, Rabelink TJ, et al. An evidence-based approach to pre-pregnancy counselling for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Rheumatology. 2018;57:1707-1720.