Autoimmune congenital heart block occurs in around 1–2% of anti-Sjögren’s syndrome-related antigen A (SSA)/Ro antibody-positive pregnancies.1 Despite the rarity of this fetal complication, the prevalence of anti-SSA/Ro autoantibodies in women with autoimmune diseases is high, and the monitoring put in place for these pregnancies can be intensive, although debatable1. Therefore, identifying predictive markers for congenital heart block in anti-SSA/Ro pregnancies could avoid unnecessary surveillance.
The Lancet