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Maternal and fetal outcomes of 72 pregnancies in Argentine patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)

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Abstract

The purpose of the following study was to analyze maternal and fetal outcomes in pregnant patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and the influence of SLE exacerbations on those pregnancies. Seventy-two pregnancies in 61 SLE patients treated between January 1986 and February 2004 in Hospital de Clínicas “José de San Martin” were reviewed retrospectively. Patient age was 28.1 ± 6.2 years (mean±standard deviation [SD]). Mean SLE duration was 4.5 ± 3.2 years (range 6 months–10 years). No patient acquired the disorder during gestation. Four (5.5%) patients had signs of active disease at the beginning of her pregnancy. Sixteen patients, accounting for 20 pregnancies, had a history of lupus nephritis. Nine patients met secondary antiphospholipid syndrome criteria and had 13 pregnancies. There were 14 exacerbations of the disease during pregnancy (19.4%), with most flares being mild. The most common obstetric complications were gestational hypertension in 15 pregnancies (20.8%) and preeclampsia in 8 pregnancies (11%). Forty-six percent of pregnancies ended in preterm deliveries. There were 62 live births (1 twin birth; 85%), 6 stillbirths (8%), and 5 spontaneous abortions (7%). Thirty-nine percent of newborns had low birth weight. Adequate pregnancy follow-up and delivery care by an interdisciplinary team in Argentine SLE patients with no pre-gestational preparation resulted in maternal and fetal outcomes similar to those seen in world reference centers.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to Amy E. Hackmann, MD and Monica Pagano, MD (Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO) for their help in translating this manuscript.

The authors are grateful to Alejandra Schvartz (Sección Asesoría Científica del Hospital de Clínicas “José de San Martin”) for her assistance with the statistics.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Rheumatology, Hospital de Clínicas “José de San Martín”, School of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires, Avenida Córdoba 2351. 8° Piso, Código Postal 1120 AAF, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Javier A. Cavallasca, Hugo A. Laborde & Gustavo G. Nasswetter

  2. Division of Obstetrics, Hospital de Clínicas “José de San Martín”. School of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Hilda Ruda-Vega

Authors
  1. Javier A. Cavallasca
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  2. Hugo A. Laborde
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  3. Hilda Ruda-Vega
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  4. Gustavo G. Nasswetter
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Correspondence to Hugo A. Laborde.

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Cavallasca, J.A., Laborde, H.A., Ruda-Vega, H. et al. Maternal and fetal outcomes of 72 pregnancies in Argentine patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Clin Rheumatol 27, 41–46 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-007-0649-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-007-0649-3

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