Systemic lupus erythematosus and antiphospholipid syndrome during pregnancy: maternal and fetal complications and their management.

Systemic lupus erythematosus affects mostly young women. Despite this, the interrelationship between SLE and pregnancy has remained poorly understood for years. Fear of maternal or fetal complications has often resulted in advice against pregnancy. Since the mid-seventies, an increasing number of authors are providing specific care for pregnant women with SLE. Their experience over the years has demonstrated that pregnancy is not only possible in patients with lupus, but also usually successful. Moreover, this experience has contributed to better knowledge of the effects of pregnancy and lupus on each other. This review is based in part on our 10 year experience in the Lupus Pregnancy Clinic at St. Thomas' Hospital. More than 300 women with SLE, antiphospholipid syndrome and other systemic autoimmune diseases have been treated during this period. We describe the maternal and fetal complications of lupus pregnancies and provide practical guidelines for management.