03 April 2010
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) arises when the immune system mistakenly attacks tissue in the joints, leading to inflammation, pain and progressive joint damage. Exactly why having children is protective is not clear, but one theory is that fetal cells transmitted to the mother during pregnancy help lower RA risk. Researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and University of Washington in Seattle found that women who had had at least one child were 39 per cent less likely to have RA than women who had never been pregnant. But the protective relationship grew weaker over time, the researchers reported in Arthritis & Rheumatism.
Joints, leading to inflammation, pain and progressive joint damage. Exactly why having children is protective is not clear, but one theory is that fetal cells transmitted to the mother during pregnancy help lower RA risk. Researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and University of Washington in Seattle found that women who had had at least one child were 39 per cent less likely to have RA than women who had never been pregnant. But the protective relationship grew weaker over time, the researchers reported in Arthritis & Rheumatism.
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