Disease Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs: Review on Pregnancy and Lactation

Abstract

Rheumatic diseases occur commonly in patients of childbearing age. The compatibility of different Disease Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs (DMARDs) during pregnancy and lactation can affect the management decision when treating these patients. With the development of promising biologics DMARDs (bDMARDs) and targeted synthetic DMARDs (tsDMARDs) in various rheumatic diseases, their safety in pregnancy and lactation is an issue for both patients and clinicians. Recently, three different guidelines on the compatibility of DMARDs during pregnancy and lactation has been published by ACR, EULAR and BSR respectively. This article summarizes their recommendations on the management of patients on DMARDs during pregnancy and lactation.