J Korean Soc Neonatol.  2006 May;13(1):139-148.

The Clinical Characteristics and Outcome of Neonates born to Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Mothers

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Chonnam National University, Medical School, Gwangju, Korea. yychoi@chonnam.ac.kr
  • 2Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chonnam National University, Medical School, Gwangju, Korea.

Abstract

PURPOSE: Neonatal lupus erythematosus (NLE) is a rare disorder caused by the transplacentally transmitted maternal autoantibodies. It is characterized by congenital complete atrioventricular block (CCAVB), skin lesion and less commonly hepatic and hematologic abnormalities. This study was designed to investigate the clinical characteristics and outcome of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) mothers and their neonates.
METHODS
29 neonates born to 25 SLE mothers were admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Chonnam University Hospital between January 1994 and June 2005. We investigate the medical records retrospectively.
RESULTS
Among 25 SLE mothers, 32.4% had history of spontaneous abortion or stillbirth in previous pregnancy, and 7 (28.0%) of preeclampsia and 3 (12.0%) of premature rupture of membranes in present pregnancy. Among 29 newborns, 14 (48.2%) were premature, 4 (13.7%) were intrauterine growth retardation, and 11 (37.9%) were confirmed as NLE. Anti-SSA/Ro was positive in 13 (52.0%) of 25 examined neonates including 6 (85.7%) of 7 neonates with electrocardiographic abnormalities. Two cases of CCAVB were diagnosed during the pregnancy. One patient didn't show heart failure, he is on the followed up without medical treatment until 4 years of age. The other one showed heart failure, cardiac pacemaker was inserted at 7 days of age, dilated cardiomyopathy developed at 4 years of age. Five neonates with sinus bradycardia resolved spontaneously. One (3.4%) had typical lupus skin lesion with thrombocytopenia and elevated liver enzyme, one (3.4%) had leukopenia, and two (6.9%) had elevated liver enzymes only.
CONCLUSIONS
With careful antenatal monitoring of SLE mothers and their fetuses, neonates should be monitored by autoantibody, EKG, and laboratory test.

Keyword

Neonatal lupus erythematosus; Autoantibody; Complete heart block

MeSH Terms

Abortion, Spontaneous
Atrioventricular Block
Autoantibodies
Bradycardia
Cardiomyopathy, Dilated
Electrocardiography
Female
Fetal Growth Retardation
Fetus
Heart Failure
Humans
Infant, Newborn*
Intensive Care, Neonatal
Jeollanam-do
Leukopenia
Liver
Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic*
Medical Records
Membranes
Mothers*
Pre-Eclampsia
Pregnancy
Retrospective Studies
Rupture
Skin
Stillbirth
Thrombocytopenia
Autoantibodies
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