The Arthritis Foundation reports on Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) and pregnancy, detailing how PsA may affect women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant or breastfeed.

The Arthritis Foundation spoke to Lisa R. Sammaritano, MD, rheumatologist at HSS, about the effects of PsA medications on a baby. While there is no evidence indicating PsA will affect a woman’s ability to get pregnant, it’s important to practice effective birth control until one is ready to have a child. “Ideally you should discuss family planning issues with your rheumatologist early on, not just when you’ve decided you would like to start having a baby,” said Dr. Sammaritano.

Dr. Sammaritano cited, “Planning will allow patients and their rheumatologists to make sure disease activity is low while on pregnancy-compatible medications. This process can take some time, since changing a medication means giving it several months to make sure that it working and that it does not cause side effects.” Dr. Sammaritano added, “Fortunately, the risks of most drugs prescribed for PsA end when the drug is out of your bloodstream. Neither the drugs you took in the past nor PsA itself should affect the development of your baby.”

Read the full article at arthritis.org.