COGNITIVE AND PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENTAL ASSESSMENT
OF OFFSPRING OF MOTHERS WITH SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS
Study Rationale:
A few small studies
looking at developmental assessment of the children born to women with
metabolic or immunologic diseases such as diabetes have shown an increase
in learning disabilities in these children. This is a very new area of
study and the cause of these findings is unknown, although the role of
autoantibodies children are exposed to during pregnancy is being examined.
We would also like to examine whether this is true for children born to
mothers with SLE. In addition, children of women with SLE are at
a slight increased risk for the development of lupus over the general population.
We are planning to study the physical and intellectual development of children
of SLE patients at our clinic. We will also examine the role of genetic
factors in SLE.
Study Design:
Parents will be approached
for participation in the study, and the study will be explained in
detail to the parent(s) and children involved. A history, physical
examination and a set of blood tests will be performed and several neuropsychological
tests to screen for cognitive development and possible learning disabilities
will be carried out.
This study is being
developed in conjunction with researchers at the Hospital for Sick Children
and is in the preliminary stages of development. All women followed
at our Clinic will be contacted in the near future will more details of
this interesting study.
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