Arthritis linked to epilepsy in children and adolescents

Children born to women with rheumatoid arthritis are at risk of developing epilepsy during childhood and adolescence, a nationwide Danish study says.

Researchers said the risk of being diagnosed with several diseases in childhood and teenage rose when the mother was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis before pregnancy.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disorder that affects the joints and causes painful swelling, which can lead to bone erosion and joint deformity.

It is three times more common among women than men and is a concern during pregnancy.

Results from the study suggest that in utero exposure to maternal RA is associated with an increased risk of thyroid disease and epilepsy in childhood and adolescence.

These findings should encourage paediatricians and general practitioners to be more aware of certain chronic diseases in children being exposed to RA in utero.

“Little research has focused on the health of children whose mothers had RA, although genetic factors are likely to be involved, as the aggregation of RA in families is evident,” said the report.

The study was done to find out whether fetal exposure to maternal rheumatoid arthritis (RA) might impact the long-term risk of disease in the offspring.

Researchers examined a possible association between maternal RA and 15 selected groups of chronic diseases in the child. To explore a possible link between maternal RA and specific chronic diseases in offspring, researchers analysed data from national Danish registries, including the birth registry and National Registry of Patients for the years 1989 to 2013.

Mothers had to have been residents of Denmark for at least 10 years for their children to be included in the analysis.

Potentially relevant chronic diseases among children according to the study included diabetes, thyroid and parathyroid ailments, polycystic ovary syndrome, lupus, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, lung disorders including asthma, epilepsy and psychiatric disorders.

Specifically, the presence of rheumatoid arthritis during pregnancy was linked with a 2.2-times increased risk of thyroid disease, a 1.6-times increased risk of epilepsy, and a 2.9-times increased risk of rheumatoid arthritis in offspring.

“We have addressed a concern in pregnant women with rheumatoid arthritis in terms of a potential increased risk of a negative impact of their chronic disease on the future health of their offspring,” it said.

According to the findings, children who were exposed to maternal RA in utero more often were born through caesarean section, were preterm and were small for gestational age.