Keywords
activity
complications
pregnancy
How to Cite
Abstract
Introduction: Women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who are pregnant have an increased risk of maternal and fetal complications.
Objective: To describe the clinical characteristics and maternal and fetal outcomes in pregnant women with SLE treated at a referral hospital in Paraguay between January 2019 and April 2026.
Materials and methods: A retrospective descriptive study was conducted, including pregnant women with SLE.
Results: Thirty-one patients were included, aged between 18 and 40 years (mean 27 ± 5.6 years) with a mean disease duration of 6 ± 2.9 years (range: 1–15). Sixteen patients (51.6%) had active disease, of whom 8 (53.3%) had lupus nephritis. Pregnancy was unplanned in 26/26 cases (100%), and in 5 patients (16.1%), SLE first appeared during pregnancy. The most frequent obstetric complication was preeclampsia, observed in 9 of the 31 pregnancies. One maternal death was recorded. Preterm delivery occurred in 10 cases (32.2%), and 6 fetal deaths were documented. Regarding immunological markers, anti-DNA antibodies were positive in 14 patients (70%) and anti-Ro antibodies in 17 (77.2%). One patient had a history of antiphospholipid syndrome, and her pregnancy progressed without complications.
Conclusion: Most pregnancies were unplanned. Almost half of the patients experienced SLE activity during gestation. Preeclampsia was the most frequent obstetric complication, with one maternal death and a 20% fetal loss rate.
References
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