Problem areas of the rheumatic mother.

The extent to which women with rheumatic diseases are disabled in caring for their children is unknown. Fifty-seven women with rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, or systemic lupus erythematosus, all of whom had children under 6 years of age born during the disease, were interviewed. Patients with different diseases differed in their disabilities, but lifting, carrying, transporting, and bathing the child were difficult for most patients. Attention to these problem areas is necessary in the care of young mothers with rheumatic illness.