A case of neonatal lupus erythematosus in a very low-birth-weight infant that suffered intraventricular hemorrhage at birth

Abstract

This report describes the case of a very low-birth-weight male infant with neonatal lupus erythematosus. His mother had Sjögren’s syndrome, and her previous child had suffered a complete heart block. Accordingly, maternal steroid (betamethasone) therapy was administered to prevent a congenital heart block for 15 weeks (from 13 to 27 weeks’ gestation). At 28 weeks’ gestation, the mother was weaned off the steroid therapy, and an emergency cesarean section was carried out at 29 weeks and 6 days’ gestation because of a nonreassuring fetal status (NRFS). At birth, the infant exhibited grade-III intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH). Although it is unclear why the infant developed a NRFS and IVH, the condition of the fetus should be carefully monitored during and after long-term maternal steroid treatment.

Keywords:

• Maternal betamethasone therapy
• neonatal lupus erythematosus
• Preterm infant