Moms with rheumatoid arthritis more likely to give birth prematurely

(Wiley) Researchers from Denmark and the US report that babies of women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or pre-clinical RA -- the period prior to symptoms -- are 1.5 times more likely to be born prematurely in Denmark. Findings published in Arthritis & Rheumatology indicate that body measurements of the baby at birth were only slightly lower in children exposed to maternal or preclinical RA compared to those with no exposure to the disease.