Frequency of Neuro-Psychiatric Dysfunction in Anti-SSA/SSB Exposed Children With and Without Neonatal Lupus

The study evaluated neuro-psychiatric dysfunction in 104 anti-SSA/SSB exposed children, including those with neonatal lupus and unaffected siblings, compared to 22 healthy controls. It found that 40% of the exposed children had neuro-psychiatric disorders, compared to 27% of controls, though this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.34). Attention problems were reported in 24% of children with congenital heart block, 20% with rash, and 18% of unaffected siblings, with no significant differences between groups (p = 0.120). Other neuro-psychiatric and autoimmune conditions were similarly distributed across groups. The study concluded that while parental reporting of neuro-psychiatric abnormalities was high in anti-Ro exposed children, the differences were not statistically significant compared to controls.