Hiroki Ozawa: New Guideline Updates on Pregnancy in Rheumatic Diseases
Hiroki Ozawa, Medical Doctor at St. Luke’s International Hospital, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“JCR 2026 Conference Report — Part 3 (Final): Pregnancy in RMD
Day 3 at JCR 2026 in Fukuoka brought an outstanding session on pregnancy complicated by rheumatic diseases. Here are the highlights.
Pregnancy in Rheumatic Diseases – Guideline Updates
This year saw the simultaneous revision of two Japanese clinical practice guidelines: one for anti-SS-A antibody-positive pregnancies and one for pregnancies complicated by antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). Naturally, the session was packed.
The session was chaired by Dr. Yokokawa, who has been doing critically important work – leading an investigator-initiated clinical trial on the use of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) for the prevention of recurrent congenital heart block (CHB) in anti-SS-A antibody-positive pregnancies with a history of CHB in a prior child, and advocating for the expansion of HCQ’s approved indications to cover this use. CHB, though rare (approximately 1% of anti-SS-A-positive pregnancies), is irreversible and can be life-threatening, making prevention a top priority.
My colleagues Prof. Kishimoto, Dr. Kitada, and Dr. Nakai were also involved in the development of these guidelines – congratulations to them on this tremendous effort!
The anti-SS-A antibody-positive pregnancy guideline is structured around clinical questions (CQs) that follow the actual workflow of clinical care – from preconception assessment through postpartum follow-up of mother and child. This makes it highly practical and applicable at the bedside, bridging rheumatology, obstetrics, and pediatrics.
The APS pregnancy guideline is equally noteworthy for its inclusion of guidance on non-criteria APS – patients who are aPL-positive with pregnancy complications but do not fully meet formal classification criteria. This ensures that women who need treatment are not overlooked, reflecting a patient-centered approach to guideline development.
I look forward to the formal publication of both guidelines and to receiving feedback from colleagues around the world.”
Stay updated on all scientific advances in the field of fertility with Fertility News.
-
May 13, 2026, 16:24Shanza Ghaffar: Recurrent Pregnancy Loss Beyond Diagnosis and Treatment
-
May 13, 2026, 16:16Alejandro González: A Historic Moment for the PCOS Community
-
May 13, 2026, 16:15Antonio La Marca: Where There Is Research, There Is Better Care
-
May 13, 2026, 16:06Mirjam Teboe: APS Diagnosis Faces False Positive Challenges in Lupus Anticoagulant Testing
-
May 13, 2026, 16:03The Link Between Lifestyle and Environmental Exposures and Endometriotic Phenotype – RBMO
-
May 13, 2026, 11:42Analysis of MED-12 Mutations in Uterine Leiomyomas of Nigerian Women – Fertility and Sterility
-
May 13, 2026, 11:33Anuja Dokras: SPIRE 2026 Brings Together the Global Fertility Community
-
May 13, 2026, 11:23Sean Lauber: Why Do Aneuploid Embryos Rarely Lead to Live Births?
-
May 13, 2026, 10:40Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome, the New Name for PCOS – PCOS Awareness Association