How does scleroderma affect pregnancy?

Most of the menacing complications associated with systemic scleroderma that affect internal organs like your heart, lungs, and kidneys happen in the first three years after diagnosis, so doctors recommend that women with this diagnosis wait at least three years after first symptoms before getting pregnant. After those three years, if you haven’t developed complications, your chances of developing them are low, so your pregnancy will be safer. However, complications during pregnancy are still possible. Since scleroderma affects your blood vessels, your placenta, which provides nutrients to the little one inside, is at risk, too. You could make a road map that would make Rand McNally proud with all the blood vessels it has! This puts your baby at risk of being born prematurely (earlier than 37 weeks). So it is important to keep in close touch with your doctors during the pregnancy (so we hope you like them!) and it may be wise to choose an obstetrician with experience in high-risk pregnancies. Still, many women with scleroderma have healthy and successful pregnancies and births.

Because the complications of scleroderma most often arise within the first three years of diagnosis, women should not attempt pregnancy until after the first three years. Beyond three years, pregnancy is most likely safe, but consultation with a physician is recommended.

Until relatively recently, doctors usually advised women with scleroderma against pregnancy. Now, however, it's recognized that with the right planning and care the chances of a successful pregnancy for women with scleroderma are actually quite high. The key is to wait a while after diagnosis to see how the disorder progresses and to plan to become pregnant when the disease has stabilized. If serious heart, lung, or kidney problems haven't manifested, it should be safe to proceed with a carefully-monitored pregnancy. One potential complication that may be more common for pregnant women with scleroderma is that of early childbirth, but with the proper care and treatment, even this complication is becoming less of a risk.