Autoimmune disease can affect a pregnancy in several ways.
One of the more well studied and common autoimmune disease related to pregnancy is Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE).
As autoimmune disease is related to the presence of auto antibodies in your own body, this can impact a patient and her pregnancy in several ways.
Firstly, a patient with a history of autoimmune disease can find it more difficult to conceive with a higher risk of miscarriages.
There can be other complications that can happen during the pregnancy, such as intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) to the baby, pre-eclampsia (high blood pressure in pregnancy) or even a higher risk of intrauterine death.
Hence in view of the expectedly more complicated journey of conceiving or pregnancy, a multi disciplinary approach with the involvement of a rheumatologist or a gynaecologist that specializes in complicated pregnancies can be of great benefit for you.
Hope this helps!
Regards,
Dr Michelle Chia
