Women who suffer the tragedy of stillbirth are four times more likely to develop Lupus in later life than those who experience an uncomplicated birth, a study has found.

Researchers from Manchester found a link between stillbirths and connective tissue disorders — with the association with Lupus being by far the strongest.

“Stillbirth leaves both a psychological and a biological legacy,” said paper author and obstetrician Hannah Kither of the University of Manchester.

“This study shows quite conclusively that these women have an increased risk of developing Lupus..Either the stillbirth is a result of underlying immunological abnormalities akin to that seen in Lupus, or that the stillbirth itself triggers a cascade of immune reactions in the maternal system culminating in connective tissue disorders.”

“The impact of stillbirth is traumatic — and the worries over having complications later on will be doubly hard for these women. But we hope the knowledge this research gives them will empower them in future years.”

Professor Alex Heazell, a researcher at the University of Manchester, and Consultant Obstetrician and Director of the Tommy's Stillbirth Research Centre at Saint Mary's Hospital, part of Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) was also part of the research team.

He said: "When women have a stillbirth they are screened for a range of diseases, but now we know Lupus won't appear until much later - sometimes years later. As stillbirth is now a known risk factor for Lupus, GPs should be aware of this when seeing their patients’ investigation results. Women themselves should also be vigilant and look out for symptoms of Lupus which include joint pain, muscle pain and chronic fatigue"

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