TOPLINE:

Alopecia areata (AA) was associated with a 36% higher risk for spontaneous abortion and more than double the risk for preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) during pregnancy in a retrospective analysis.

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers analyzed data from 6328 pregnancies from the TriNetX research network between 2004 and 2025.
• In the propensity score analysis, 3164 patients (mean age at pregnancy, 29.6 years; 52.3% White and 19.9% Black) with AA were matched with an equal number of women without AA based on age, race, ethnicity, and comorbidities.
• The researchers evaluated adverse pregnancy outcomes within 1 year of pregnancy diagnosis.

TAKEAWAY:

• Women with AA showed a significantly higher risk for spontaneous abortion than those without AA (risk ratio [RR], 1.36; 95% CI, 1.07-1.72).
• The risk for PPROM was more than doubled in patients with AA (RR, 2.20; 95% CI, 1.41-3.43).
• Other pregnancy conditions, including poor fetal growth, hypertensive disorders, or gestational diabetes, did not differ significantly between the two groups.

IN PRACTICE:

“AA was associated with increased risk of spontaneous abortion and PPROM, corroborating mounting evidence that AA is not just a hair disorder, but a systemic autoimmune condition with identifiable risks,” the authors wrote. “Collaboration with obstetrics/gynecology for active surveillance of AA patients is recommended, including referral to maternal-fetal-medicine specialists and monitoring for signs of pregnancy loss or membrane rupture,” they added.

SOURCE:

The study was led by Alexa S. Podolsky, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, and was published online on November 29 in Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

LIMITATIONS:

The study was limited by its retrospective cohort design, potential miscoding, the inability to assess fetal outcomes or severity of AA, and presence of confounding factors.

DISCLOSURES:

No funding was received for the study. Two authors disclosed serving as speakers and consultants for Pfizer, Sun Pharma, AbbVie, Arcutis, Moberg Pharmaceuticals, and BelleTorus Corporation.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.