To study female reproduction, i.e., number of births, subsequent pregnancy rate, and interpregnancy interval after diagnosis of inflammatory rheumatic disease.
In a national population based cohort study, reproduction in mothers with rheumatic disease, registered with the Medical Birth Registry of Norway 1967-1995, were compared to mothers without such diagnoses.
After diagnosis, women with rheumatic disease had a statistically significant lower mean number of births, a shorter time span of reproduction, longer interpregnancy intervals, and a reduced subsequent pregnancy rate.
Altered reproduction observed in women with a rheumatic disease might reflect various mechanisms not accounted for in this study, but possibly related to the disease process, functional impairment, or medical treatment.