Ab0279 a High Proportion of Norwegian Women With Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (Jia) Are Breastfeeding

Background: Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) represents challenges for women during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Limited research exists on breastfeeding practices among women with JIA. To our knowledge, there are no publications so far investigating the proportion of breastfeeding in mothers with JIA, and if breastfeeding affects disease related factors. Objectives: This study aimed to explore the proportion of women with JIA breastfeeding at 6 weeks, 6 months and 12 months postpartum, as well as examining demographic and disease related factors, and the use of medications, comparing the breastfeeding and the non-breastfeeding groups. Methods: Data from the Norwegian nationwide quality register RevNatus, collecting data about women with inflammatory rheumatic diseases in relation to pregnancy, were analyzed. The data were collected from clinical documentation and self-reported material during visits at the outpatient clinic. All women with JIA with a live birth and attending at least the control 6 weeks postpartum, were included in the study. Results: Among 304 live births in 227 women, 85,5% were breastfed at 6 weeks, 70% at 6 months and 30% at 12 months postpartum. Breastfeeding women had higher educational level, longer pregnancy duration, a lower prevalence of C-sections, lower scores for VAS pain, VAS fatigue and VAS total, and used less conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (csDMARDs) compared to women not breastfeeding. 14 women did not specify their breastfeeding status. Conclusion: In the present study, we observed a high proportion of women with JIA breastfeeding at 6 weeks and 6 months postpartum. Based on our findings, women with JIA should be encouraged by health professionals to breastfeed. REFERENCES: NIL. Acknowledgements: NIL. Disclosure of Interests: None declared.