Renal lupus in pregnancy

Abstract

The outlook of pregnancy for women with lupus nephritis is usually favourable if the disease has been quiescent for at least 3 months before pregnancy, and if, at conception, serum creatinine is less than 140 μmol/1, proteinuria less than 3grams/25 hours and blood pressure controlled. The risk of fetal loss is, however, 2–3 times higher than in the normal population and pre-eclampsia, prematurity and fetal growth retardation frequently complicate these pregnancies. Pregnancies in women with lupus nephritis are high-risk pregnancies and they require intense fetal and maternal surveillance.