Volume 39, Issue 1 p. 28-30

Pregnancy in Patients With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Neelam Aggarwal MD

Neelam Aggarwal MD

Departments of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Nehru Hospital Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India

Assistant Professor.

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Harjeet Sawhney MD

Corresponding Author

Harjeet Sawhney MD

Departments of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Nehru Hospital Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India

Associate Professor.

8 Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh-160012, India.Search for more papers by this author
Kala Vasishta MD

Kala Vasishta MD

Departments of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Nehru Hospital Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India

Professor.

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Seema Chopra MD

Seema Chopra MD

Departments of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Nehru Hospital Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India

Senior Resident.

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Pardeep Bambery MD

Pardeep Bambery MD

Internal Medicine, Nehru Hospital Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India

Additional Professor.

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First published: 28 July 2009
Citations: 38

Abstract

Summary: We reviewed the obstetrical performance and outcome of 15 pregnancies in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) (study group) and compared them with 45 age and parity-matched normal pregnancies (control group). Eleven women (73.8%) were in remission phase and 4 (26.7%) had active disease at the time of conception. The time interval between disease diagnosis and the index pregnancy was 4.2 ± 2.5 years. Two patients with renal involvement had lupus flare-up during the antenatal period. There was no case of lupus flare-up in the postpartum period. Gestational age at delivery was significantly lower in SLE patients (35.9 ± 2.5 weeks) compared to the control group (37.4 ± 2.2 weeks). The incidence of intrauterine growth retardation was significantly higher in the SLE patients (40%). There was no case of neonatal lupus or congenital heart block.