Fetal manifestations of maternal anti-Ro and La antibodies – more than complete heart block

Abstract

Complete heart block (CHB) is a potentially fatal condition occurring in approximately 1:10000 fetuses. Whilst it is well recognised that maternal anti-Ro and La antibodies are associated with fetal CHB, there are multiple other manifestations of fetal exposure to these autoantibodies which are not widely appreciated and rarely diagnosed. The importance of identifying affected fetuses lies in the significantly increased risk of recurrence in future pregnancies, and the potential for treatments which may modify this risk. This paper presents several cases to highlight the varying fetal presentations of maternal anti-Ro and La antibodies.