The MAMA Study

Are you pregnant and living with inflammatory arthritis?

Is your arthritis currently being treated with a biologic?

The MAMA Study is designed to find out whether it is better for pregnant women with inflammatory arthritis to temporarily stop or continue taking biologic medications during pregnancy. Both approaches are routine practice across the UK, and the MAMA Study aims to find out which is the better approach.

If you're interested in taking part or finding out more, click below to register your interest, and a member of the study team will get in touch with you.

About the study

If you take part, you will be randomly allocated by a computer system to one of two groups:

The stopping group: You will stop your biologic before the third trimester (28 weeks) of pregnancy and restart no earlier than 2 weeks after giving birth.
The continuing group: You will continue taking your biologic throughout pregnancy

Other than stopping or continuing your current biologic, no other changes will be made to your arthritis treatment as a result of being in the study.

You'll be asked to complete a short questionnaire when you join the study, monthly during pregnancy, and at 3, 6, 12 and 24 months after your baby is born. These questionnaires ask about your arthritis symptoms and treatment, and about you and your baby's health and quality of life.

If you take part, you will be randomly allocated by a computer system to one of two groups:

The stopping group: You will stop your biologic before the third trimester (28 weeks) of pregnancy and restart no earlier than 2 weeks after giving birth.
The continuing group: You will continue taking your biologic throughout pregnancy

Other than stopping or continuing your current biologic, no other changes will be made to your arthritis treatment as a result of being in the study.

Who can take part?

You may be eligible to take part if:

You are currently pregnant at less than 28 weeks gestation

You have inflammatory arthritis
Your arthritis is being treated with a biologic

Can my baby take part?

There will also be an option for your baby to be considered for another part of the study looking at your baby's immune system.

We want to hear from you

Taking part could help answer an important question that may improve care for pregnant women with inflammatory arthritis and their babies in the future.

This study is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Programme (Reference Number NIHR153577). The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care.