Sick leave and disability pension following delivery in women with systemic lupus erythematosus

Abstract

Objective To investigate sickness benefits following delivery in mothers with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and mothers without SLE. Method SLE and non-SLE mothers, matched by age and month of delivery, with a singleton liveborn (2004–2008), were identified from the Swedish Lupus Linkage cohort. Work loss (sum of sick leave and disability pension) was studied from 1 year prenatally to 3 years postpartum. Adjusted logistic regression models of covariates associated with > 30 days of work loss in the first and second years postpartum were estimated in SLE mothers. Results Among 130 SLE mothers and 440 non-SLE mothers, SLE mothers were more likely to have work loss from the prenatal year (42% vs 16%) to 3 years postpartum (49% vs 15%). In SLE mothers, work loss was on average 61 ± 112 days (mean ± sd) in the prenatal year and 38 ± 83 days in the first year postpartum, which increased to 71 ± 114 days in the third year postpartum. Having > 30 days of sick leave in the year of delivery [odds ratio (OR) 4.4, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.5–12.9] and ≤ 12 years of education (OR 2.6, 95% CI 1.1–6.0) were associated with work loss in the first year postpartum. No covariates were associated with work loss in the second year postpartum. Conclusion SLE mothers more often had work loss in the prenatal year to 3 years postpartum compared to non-SLE mothers. Lower education and sick leave in the year of delivery were associated with a higher odds of work loss in the first year postpartum in SLE.