Minor physical anomalies are not increased in infants born to women with systemic lupus erythematosus, according to the results of a new study that examined 30 babies of women with SLE.
The incidence of minor physical anomalies was 43% “consistent with the incidence in the general population,” said Dr. Phyllis N. Bonaminio of Northwestern University, Chicago, and her colleagues (Ann. Rheum. Dis. 2006;65:246–8).
The minor physical anomalies included flat nasal bridge (five), hypoplastic nose (four), long philtrum (three), high-arched palate (three), and thin vermillion, posterior-rotated ears, low-set ears, and protruding ears in one infant each. Limb anomalies included syndactyly and polydactyly in one infant each, and length discrepancies in the second and third toes of two infants.
Flat nasal bridge, hypoplastic nose, and long philtrum are associated with fetal alcohol exposure and were found in some of the infants of the 10 women who reported substance abuse during pregnancy, the authors noted.
Neither prednisone (reported by 50%), nor aspirin (reported by 20%), nor maternal disease flare were associated with minor physical anomalies, reported the authors.