Systemic Sclerosis Pregnancies: High Livebirth Rates Mask Significant Risks of Placental Insufficiency and Postpartum Disease Progression

High Livebirth Success Amidst Persisting Clinical Challenges

For decades, systemic sclerosis (SSc) was considered a relative contraindication to pregnancy due to fears of renal crisis and poor fetal outcomes. However, as management strategies for connective tissue diseases have evolved, more women with SSc are pursuing biological motherhood. While recent retrospective data suggested improved outcomes, prospective evidence has remained scarce. The GR2 French prospective study, recently published in The Lancet Rheumatology, provides a critical update on the landscape of pregnancy in systemic sclerosis, including those with very early diagnosis of the disease (VEDOSS). The findings offer a nuanced perspective: while the vast majority of pregnancies reach a successful livebirth, the rates of obstetric complications and maternal disease progression remain alarmingly higher than those in the general population.

Highlights of the GR2 Study