Navigating Challenges in Reproductive Rheumatology: from Preconception to Parenthood

Rheumatic diseases predominantly affect individuals in their childbearing years, with a significant impact on women. Recent advances in healthcare have markedly improved pregnancy outcomes in women with complex multi-organ rheumatic conditions and have also enabled men to continue various immunosuppressive treatments while attempting to conceive. Despite these advancements, several reproductive challenges persist for both genders, encompassing issues related to fertility, preconception, and the transition to parenthood. Preconception counseling, pregnancy management, and postpartum care continue to present difficulties due to limited data on maternal and perinatal risks associated with rare autoimmune diseases.

This Research Topic aims to deepen the understanding of reproductive issues in rheumatic diseases, enhance preconception counseling, improve pregnancy and postpartum care, and clarify the implications of maternal antibodies and immunosuppressive drugs on child development. Moreover, it seeks to unravel the complexities of immunological changes during pregnancy to better differentiate disease flares from pregnancy-related complications.

To gather further insights in the field of reproductive rheumatology, both in clinical and translational contexts for women and men, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

• Maternal and perinatal risks in autoimmune rheumatic diseases

• Impact of immunosuppressive therapies on fertility and pregnancy

• Challenges in preconception counseling and pregnancy management

• Long-term effects of in utero exposure to maternal antibodies and drugs

• Differentiation of pregnancy-related changes from rheumatic flares

• Case studies and series on rare and complex inflammatory rheumatic diseases

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Community Case Study
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Community Case Study
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Study Protocol
• Systematic Review

Keywords: Preconception, Fertility, Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART), Pregnancy, Postpartum, Parenthood, Rheumatic Diseases

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.