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Autism spectrum disorders in babies born to mothers with antiphospholipid syndrome

Noémie Abisror1, Arsène Mekinian, Eric Lachassinne

  • 1Service de médecine interne, Université Paris 13, AP-HP, Hôpital Jean Verdier Bondy, France.

Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism
|August 6, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Babies born to mothers with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) may have autism spectrum disorders, but no thrombosis risk. Neonatal lupus is common in babies of mothers with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Area of Science:

  • Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • Pediatrics
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are autoimmune conditions that can affect pregnancy outcomes.
  • Understanding the potential neurodevelopmental outcomes in children exposed to these maternal conditions is crucial for clinical management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the outcomes of babies born to mothers with primary APS.
  • To compare these outcomes with babies born to mothers with SLE.

Main Methods:

  • A retrospective study analyzed clinical characteristics, psychomotor development, and immunological data of children born to mothers with APS (group 1) and SLE (group 2) between 2003 and 2010.
  • Group 1 included 36 children from 26 mothers with primary APS.
  • Group 2 included 12 children from 9 mothers with SLE.

Main Results:

  • Three children in group 1 (APS) developed autism spectrum disorders, all with persistent anti-β2GP1 IgG antibodies.
  • Three children in group 2 (SLE) experienced cutaneous neonatal lupus; no neurodevelopmental disorders were observed.
  • No significant differences were found in birth parameters or follow-up between the groups, though group 2 had more frequent antinuclear antibodies.

Conclusions:

  • Autism spectrum disorders may occur in infants born to mothers with APS, though thrombosis risk is absent.
  • While neonatal lupus is a known complication in SLE-exposed infants, APS-exposed infants face persistent risks of prematurity and low birth weight.
  • The association between maternal antibodies in APS and autism spectrum disorders in offspring requires further investigation.
Abstract

Keywords:
Antiphospholipid syndromeAutismLupusOffspringOutcome

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