A 29-year-old woman who lost two pregnancies in the second trimester has delivered a healthy baby boy at Kauvery Hospital Radial Road in Chennai, after doctors found she carried anti-SSA antibodies and treated her from early in her next pregnancy, the hospital said.

Chennai, October 22, 2026: The woman had no symptoms of an autoimmune disease. Her first pregnancy ended in a loss at 20 weeks, followed by a second mid-trimester loss. In both, the babies developed hydrops fetalis, a serious condition in which fluid builds up in the baby’s body, which can happen when the heart is not working properly.

After the second loss, a clinical geneticist found no genetic cause, and she was referred to a rheumatologist. Tests showed anti-SSA antibodies, which the hospital says were the likely cause. These antibodies can cross the placenta and damage the baby’s heart, causing congenital heart block, in which the electrical signals that control the heartbeat are disrupted. In severe cases this can lead to heart failure and fluid build-up, the hospital said.

For her third pregnancy, a team of rheumatology, maternal-fetal medicine and obstetrics specialists started preventive treatment as soon as the pregnancy was confirmed. She was given hydroxychloroquine and steroids, and intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) from the 12th to the 27th week, covering the period from about the 16th week when the antibodies can begin crossing the placenta. The baby’s heart was monitored closely throughout. The baby was born with normal heart function, and the mother is being monitored for signs of an underlying autoimmune condition.

“The key to managing this pregnancy was prevention rather than treatment,” said Prof. Dr. M. M. Kavitha, Consultant, Rheumatology, who led the team. She described hydroxychloroquine as “the standard therapy for mothers with anti-SSA antibodies” and said IVIG was added “as an additional measure” because of the patient’s history of recurrent loss. Her advice: “For any recurrent pregnancy loss it’s better to have a rheumatological evaluation.”

Dr. Aravindan Selvaraj, Co-founder and Executive Director of Kauvery Group of Hospitals, said the case “highlights an important but often overlooked cause of recurrent mid-trimester pregnancy loss.” He said doctors should consider an autoimmune cause and involve a rheumatologist when a pregnancy is complicated by hydrops fetalis or an unexplained second-trimester loss.

This is a single case reported by the hospital. The release does not give the timing of the delivery, the baby’s birth weight or the mother’s antibody levels. It does not name the maternal-fetal medicine specialist, and the hospital calls anti-SSA the “likely” cause of the earlier losses, not a proven one. IVIG was an extra step in this case, and treatment depends on each patient, so women with a history of pregnancy loss should discuss options with their own doctors.