Ankylosing spondylitis and pregnancy

In contrast to what is known for RA, pregnancy does not improve the symptoms of AS. The majority of women with AS has unchanged or temporarily aggravated disease activity during pregnancy. AS associated with other inflammatory states like psoriasis, IBS, or peripheral small joint arthritis, may benefit from pregnancy. Women with AS can expect to have the same rate of fertility, course of pregnancy, and normal delivery as the healthy female population. In general, female AS patients have healthy babies. However, the chance for their offspring to develop AS later in life is slightly increased.