Is Behçet's disease associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes?

INTRODUCTION: In this study, we aimed to investigate the association between Behçet's disease (BD) and adverse pregnancy outcomes.
METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted in pregnant women diagnosed with BD who were treated at our hospital between January 2017 and November 2021. All pregnancies of the participants before and after the diagnosis of BD were analyzed. Maternal age, obstetric history, pregnancy complications, and neonatal outcomes were analyzed. Pregnancy outcomes were compared with those of healthy controls. Disease activity and history of drug use during pregnancy were evaluated. The relationship between the course of the disease and the outcome of pregnancy was analyzed.
RESULTS: During the study period, 26 pregnant women with BD were included in the analysis. There were 10 and 63 pregnancies before and after the diagnosis of BD, respectively. The rate of disease flare-up in pregnancy was 46.2%. At least one pregnancy complication occurred in 34.5% of pregnant women with BD. The incidence of preterm delivery (PD) and low birth weight (LBW) were found to increase in pregnant women with BD (p=.001 and p=.001, respectively). No difference was found in other adverse pregnancy outcomes. No association was found between adverse pregnancy outcomes and disease flare-up during pregnancy.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Although BD generally tends to remission during pregnancy, it is characterized by an increase in PD and LBW rates.