The Clinical Features and Long-Term Follow-Up of Neonatal Lupus Erythematosus in 12 Children

The study investigated the clinical features and long-term prognosis of neonatal lupus erythematosus (NLE) in 12 children (7 males, 5 females). All had skin lesions, 11 had hematologic changes, 6 had liver impairments, and 4 had heart impairments. Autoantibodies were present in all cases. Among the mothers, 11 were asymptomatic before pregnancy, but many developed symptoms during or after pregnancy. Long-term follow-up (18 months to 12 years) showed that most children's symptoms resolved as maternal antibodies disappeared, though one child developed juvenile idiopathic arthritis and another had recurrent rashes. Ten mothers were diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus, and two with Sjogren's syndrome. The study concluded that while NLE symptoms often resolve, some children may develop other autoimmune diseases later.