Neonatal outcomes of children born to mothers on biological agents during pregnancy: state of the art and perspective

Publication date: Available online 6 December 2019Source: Pharmacological ResearchAuthor(s): Rebecca de Lorenzo, Giuseppe A. Ramirez, Daniele Punzo, Laura Lorioli, Rosanna Rovelli, Valentina Canti, Graziano Barera, Patrizia Rovere-QueriniAbstractBiologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) are used in pregnant patients with rheumatic diseases. Long-term follow-up data about newborns exposed to bDMARDs during pregnancy are however scarce. Here we summarize the published evidence and available recommendations for use of bDMARDs during pregnancy. We analyse clinical features at birth and at follow-up of 84 children, including: 16 consecutive children born to mothers with autoimmune diseases exposed to bDMARDs in utero; 32 children born to mothers with autoimmune diseases who did not receive bDMARDs; 36 children born to healthy mothers. In our monocentric cohort, children born to mothers with autoimmune diseases had lower gestational age at birth compared to those born to healthy mothers, independently of exposure to bDMARDs. At multivariate analysis, prematurity was an independent predictor of the need for antibiotic treatment, but not for hospitalisation or neonatal intensive care unit (ICU) stay during the neonatal period. Exposure to bDMARDs during pregnancy does not seem to interfere with post-natal development up to infancy. Prospective studies are needed in larger cohorts of pregnant patients to confirm that bDMARDs do not have a negative impact on psychomotor...
Source: Pharmacological Research - Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Source Type: research