Psoriasis and adverse pregnancy outcomes: a systematic review of observational studies. (24th July 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bobotsis, R.; Gulliver, W.P.; Monaghan, K.; Lynde, C.; Fleming, P.
• Is Part Of: British journal of dermatology. Volume 175:Number 3(2016)
• Page Start: 464
• Page End: 472
• Publication Date: 2016-07-24
• Subjects: Dermatology -- Periodicals; Skin -- Diseases -- Periodicals; 616.5
• DOI: 10.1111/bjd.14547
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0007-0963

Abstract

Summary: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disorder with significant physical and psychological sequelae. The majority of individuals experience disease onset in early adult life – for women this often occurs during their reproductive years. While some autoimmune diseases have been shown to affect pregnancy outcomes adversely, such a relationship has not been well studied in psoriasis. We searched PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane database for published articles examining psoriasis and adverse pregnancy outcomes, and included observational studies and clinical trials evaluating direct measures of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. Four of the nine included articles reported a statistically significant increase in the risk of at least one outcome, including spontaneous abortion, caesarean delivery, low birth weight, macrosomia, large‐for‐gestational age, and a composite outcome consisting of both prematurity and low birth weight. However, these associations were not always consistent across studies. Overall, there was no clear evidence of increased adverse outcomes in pregnant women with psoriasis. Abstract : What's already known about this topic? Many women suffer from psoriasis during their reproductive years. Other autoimmune diseases have been shown to affect pregnancy outcomes adversely, underscoring the importance of studying this relationship in psoriasis. What does this study add? The included articles did not demonstrate a consistently increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. However, increased risks of spontaneous abortion, caesarean delivery, low birth weight, macrosomia, large‐for‐gestational age, or a composite outcome combining both prematurity and low birth weight were each reported in at least one of the included studies. Plain language summary available online