Delayed maternal lupus after delivery of offspring with congenital heart block.

An association between maternal connective tissue disease, especially lupus, and congenital complete heart block in the offspring has been recently recognized. In general, maternal lupus is clinically or serologically manifest by the time the infant with heart block is born, although in some cases the appearance of maternal disease may be delayed for some time. Systemic lupus erythematosus occurred in the mother of three children with congenital heart block 16 years after delivery of her first affected child. To our knowledge this represents the longest latency period for the appearance of maternal disease on record.