Patient Care Pathways for Pregnancy in Rare and Complex Rheumatic Diseases: Results From an International Survey

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Figure.
Diseases followed in pregnancy clinics. APS: antiphospholipid syndrome and aPL carriers; BD: Behçet disease; IgG4: IgG4-related disease; IIM: idiopathic inflammatory myopathy; LVV: large-vessel vasculitides; RP: relapsing polychondritis; SLE: systemic lupus erythematosus; SS: Sjögren syndrome; MCTD: mixed connective tissue disease; SSc: systemic sclerosis, SVV: small-vessel vasculitides; UCTD: undifferentiated connective tissue disease.

Table 1.

Healthcare professionals (HCPs) involved in the multidisciplinary team and treatments prescribed in pregnancy clinics.

HCPs involved in the multidisciplinary team	%
Gynecologist/obstetrician	91.3
Nephrologist	49.2
Midwife	18.8
Psychologist	15.9
Nutritionist	7.2
Other dedicated HCPs^{^a}	24.6
Other	31.8
Centers with ability to prescribe treatments during pregnancy
Low-dose aspirin	100
Glucocorticoids	98.5
Low molecular weight heparin	95.6
Antimalarials	94.2
Azathioprine	92.7
Biologics	79.7
IVIG	78.2
Cyclosporin	75.3
Tacrolimus	62.3
Other treatments	11.5

Table 2.

Frequency of rheumatologist visits in pregnancy clinics.

Frequency of monitoring/follow-up rheumatologist visits during pregnancy	%
Every month	31.8
It is variable depending on the clinical picture but not less than every 2 months	28.9
It is variable depending on the clinical picture but not less than 3 months	18.8
One visit per trimester	10.1
Every 3 months	4.3
Every 2 months	2.8
With same frequency as outside pregnancy (ie, every 6 months)	0
When does the postpartum visit occur?
Within 4 weeks of delivery	36.2
Within 8 weeks of delivery	33.3
Within 12 weeks of delivery	14.5
No answer	7.2
Within 2 weeks of delivery	5.8
Within 6 months of delivery	2.9