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Updated: May 27, 2026

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Published on: May 5, 2018
Persistent fetal sinus bradycardia associated with maternal anti-SSA/Ro and anti-SSB/La antibodies
Priya Chockalingam1, Edgar T Jaeggi, Lukas A Rammeloo
1Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Objective:
To study the clinical course and outcome of fetal sinus bradycardia (SB) due to maternal antibody-induced sinus node dysfunction.
Methods:
We reviewed the maternal, prenatal, and postnatal findings of fetuses with SB associated with elevated maternal anti-SSA/Ro and anti-SSB/La antibodies.
Results:
Of the 6 cases diagnosed prenatally, 3 had isolated SB persisting after birth and had a good prognosis. Three fetuses with SB and severe myocardial involvement (congenital complete heart block and/or endocardial fibroelastosis) succumbed in utero in spite of treatment. Postmortem histopathology in 1 fetus showed inflammatory destruction of the sinus and atrioventricular nodes. SB was detected incidentally in a 7-year-old girl. She had intermittent heart block with progressive sinus arrest requiring permanent pacemaker.
Conclusion:
Fetal SB associated with maternal autoantibodies may persist in childhood, with a good prognosis in the absence of widespread cardiac involvement.
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