Affiliations: [a]
Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
| [b]
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
| [c]
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Cardiology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
Correspondence:
[*]
Address for correspondence: Mohammad Q. Mehdi, Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd. Galveston, Texas, 77555, USA. E-mail: [email protected].
Abstract: There are multiple manifestations in the neonatal period for infants born to mothers with systematic lupus erythematosus (SLE), ranging from cardiac, hematologic and dermatologic abnormalities. Cardiac complications may arise in utero in the form of heart block with a resulting increase in fetal mortality. The fetal conduction system is suspected to be affected by transplacental maternal antibodies, however additional environmental and fetal factors appear to play a role. We describe a rare case of a dichorionic-diamniotic twin pregnancy in which only one twin developed a complete heart block progressing to hydrops fetalis and fetal demise.
