Maternal and neonatal outcomes of births to women with psoriasis: a population-based cohort of 13 million births

Abstract

Purpose

Psoriasis is a common auto-immune disease affecting the skin and joints for which the current literature remains limited and contradictory in the context of pregnancy. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the association between psoriasis in pregnancy and maternal and newborn outcomes.

Methods

A population based retrospective cohort study was conducted using the 1999–2015 United States’ Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Nationwide Inpatient Sample. ICD-9 codes were used to identify delivery admissions to women with or without psoriasis, as well as maternal and fetal outcomes. Adjusting for baseline characteristics, multivariate logistic regression models were performed to estimate the effects of psoriasis on maternal and newborn outcomes.

Results

The cohort consisted of 3737 women with psoriasis, among a total of 13,792,544 pregnancy admissions in US hospitals between the years 1999 and 2015, for a period prevalence of 27.1 cases per 100,000 pregnant women. Psoriasis was associated with preeclampsia, OR 1.4 (95% CI 1.2–1.6), gestational diabetes, 1.27 (1.13–1.42), myocardial infarction, 13.4 (3.3–54.6), chorioamnionitis, 1.3 (1.0–1.6), delivery by cesarean section, 1.2 (1.1–1.3), anemia, 1.74 (1.18–2.57), and requiring blood transfusions, 1.4 (1.0–1.8). Their newborns were at higher risk of being born preterm, 1.2 (1.1–1.4), congenital anomalies, 1.7 (1.2–2.4), and intra-uterine growth restriction, 1.5 (1.2–1.7).

Conclusion

Women with psoriasis and their newborns appear more prone to adverse outcomes of pregnancy. It would be prudent for these women to be followed closely during pregnancy by their obstetrical caregiver and dermatologist. Further investigation is warranted regarding the management of psoriasis during pregnancy.

Keywords:

• Psoriasis
• pregnancy
• pregnancy outcomes

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).