Pregnancy and Childbirth Do Not Worsen 'Gangjikcheokchuyeom'

Professor Lee Kyung-eon, Department of Rheumatology, Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] A study has found that pregnancy and childbirth do not worsen ankylosing spondylitis, a chronic inflammatory disease.

The research team led by Professor Lee Kyung-eon of the Rheumatology Department at Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital announced on the 11th that these findings were published in the SCI-level international journal Frontiers in Medicine.

Ankylosing spondylitis is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by inflammation of the sacroiliac joints and spine, with symptoms typically beginning in the teens to twenties. The exact cause of the disease is not clearly identified, but environmental factors such as physical stress, in addition to genetic factors, are known to be major causes.

During pregnancy, continuous pressure on the pelvis and lower back inevitably increases, but until now, there has been no research on whether pregnancy and childbirth affect the progression of ankylosing spondylitis. As a result, women of childbearing age with the disease have had significant fears about disease worsening after pregnancy or childbirth.

The research team conducted a retrospective study on 59 female ankylosing spondylitis patients who underwent CT scans at Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital, Kangdong Kyung Hee University Hospital, and Konkuk University Hospital from 2009 to 2020.

Comparing changes in the sacroiliac joints and spine via CT between female patients diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis who had experienced pregnancy and childbirth and those without pregnancy or childbirth history, no differences in radiological changes were confirmed.

Professor Lee stated, "With active treatment and consistent management to stabilize symptoms, and by carefully planning pregnancy and childbirth with the attending physician, ankylosing spondylitis progression will not be affected."