Transthoracic pacing in a very low birth weight infant with congenital complete atrioventricular block

We report our experience of pacemaker treatment in a premature infant of 830 g with congenital complete atrioventricular block due to maternal Sjögren's Syndrome. The infant was delivered by cesarean section at an estimated gestational age of 26 weeks because of fetal bradycardia, decreasing fetal movements, and hydrops. Immediate postnatal transesophageal ventricular pacing was not successful, whereas transthoracic pacing with self-adhesive patch electrodes adapted to body size resulted in an effective increase of the infant's heart rate until operative application of temporary epimyocardial pacing wires allowed external stimulation of the heart.