AIM: The aim of the study was to estimate the possible risk of adverse birth outcomes of children born to mothers with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: The dataset of large population-based Hungarian Case-Control Surveillance System of Congenital Abnormalities from 1980-1996 was evaluated including 22,843 cases with congenital abnormalities and 38,151 matched controls without any defect. RESULTS: 36 cases (0.16%) had mothers with RA, while 68 controls (0.18%) were born to mothers without RA (OR=0.9, 95% CI=0.3-1.6). A higher risk for congenital abnormalities in the offspring of pregnant women with RA was not found. In fact there was a larger mean birth weight in the newborns without any defect of mothers with RA and it was associated with a somewhat lower rate of low birth weight. CONCLUSIONS: RA seems to have a beneficial effect not only for pregnant women but for their foetuses as well.

2nd Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology School of Medicine Semmelweis University Budapest Hungary

Department of Personality and Health Psychology Eötvös Loránd University Budapest Hungary

Foundation for the Community Control of Hereditary Diseases Budapest Hungary

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