Noninvasive cardiac assessment in children of women with systemic lupus erythematosus.
OBJECTIVE
Noninvasive cardiac assessment of newborns and infants of women with systemic lupus erythematosus. The children had no congenital total atrioventricular block and were compared with the children of healthy women.


METHODS
We prospectively assessed 13 newborns and infants aged 1 to 60 days, children of women with systemic lupus erythematosus and without congenital total atrioventricular block. These children were compared with 30 children of women who had no lupus or anti-Ro/SSA antibodies, and no risk factors for congenital heart disease either. Their age groups matched. The following examinations were performed: cardiological physical examination, electrocardiography, echocardiography, and signal-averaged electrocardiography.


RESULTS
The statistical analysis showed no significant difference in ventricular function or in the cardiac conduction system between the groups.


CONCLUSIONS
In regard to the conduction system and ventricular function in the absence of total atrioventricular block, no statistically significant difference was observed between the children of women with systemic lupus erythematosus and children of healthy women.
Monteitro Pereira Leite
Maria de Fátima
MF
Hospital Universitário Pedro Ernesto, Universidade Estadual do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
Levy
Roger Aaron
RA
Borges
Mônica Scott
MS
Barbosa
Eduardo Correa
EC
Ginefra
Paulo
P
Benchimol Barbosa
Paulo Roberto
PR
Barbosa Benchimol
Paulo Roberto
PR
Aoun
Nadia Barreto Tenório
NB
Christiani
Luiz Alberto
LA
Albanesi Filho
Francisco Manes
FM
D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000097:blood; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents; D018618:Echocardiography, Doppler, Color; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006327:Heart Block / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000276:immunology; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; C035356:SS-A antibodies