PREGNANCY AND LUPUS

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A question of concern to many families is whether or not a young woman with lupus should risk becoming pregnant. The current general view is that there is no absolute reason why a woman with lupus should not get pregnant, unless she has moderate to severe organ involvement (i.e., central nervous system, kidney, or heart and lungs) which would place her (the mother) at risk. However, there is some increased risk of disease activity during or immediately after (3 to 4 weeks) pregnancy. If a person is monitored carefully, the danger can be minimized. A pregnant woman with lupus should be closely followed by both her obstetrician and her "lupus doctor."

 

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Approved by the Lupus Foundation of America's
Patient Education Committee.