Characteristics of pregnant and lactating women with leprosy

INTRODUCTION:
The clinical characteristics of women who conceive during leprosy and the association between leprosy and pregnancy are not well known.
METHODS:
This cross-sectional study included 49 pregnant or lactating women diagnosed with leprosy in 2011.
RESULTS:
The patients had a clinical dimorphous form of leprosy (44.9%), no physical incapacity at diagnosis (87.5%), and no complications in either the patient or infant (33.4%). In 36.3% of cases, leprosy symptoms were presented in the last trimester of pregnancy, and in 31.9% of patients were in the first trimester of lactation.
CONCLUSIONS:
The association between leprosy and pregnancy should be routinely investigated, particularly in endemic areas.