FETAL VENTRICULAR RATE IN CASE OF CONGENITAL COMPLETE HEART-BLOCK IS INCREASED BY RITODRINE - CASE-REPORT

We encountered a case of fetal bradycardia (57 bpm) induced by heart b lock. The continuous intravenous administration of ritodrine to a moth er to treat fetal bradycardia at 28 weeks of gestation successfully in creased the fetal ventricular rate by 15 bpm (from 57 to 72 bpm). Preg nancy was continued for 10 weeks, and fetal cardiac failure did not oc cur. The fetal ventricular rate gradually decreased to 52 bpm after di scontinuation of the ritodrine infusion. It is suggested that maternal administration of ritodrine can be considered in a case of life-threa tening fetal bradycardia induced by complete heart block.