Earlier this month, a Salvadoran woman with lupus, known publicly only as Beatrice, made headlines when El Salvador's highest court rejected her plea for an abortion - a procedure that is banned under the laws of this Central American country. Beatrice's appeal was based on what medical doctors said was a risk to her life should she continue with the pregnancy. Doctors had also determined that her baby had no chance of survival because of a severe brain defect.

Eventually, in a round-about way to avoid violating the law, doctors performed an "induced delivery" to save the woman's life. The fetus was delivered by Caesarean section, placed in an incubator and provided fluids. It lived for five hours. The news surrounding Beatrice has certainly invoked discussion about lupus and pregnancy. While many lupus patients have had and continue to have successful pregnancies, this involves personal decisions that patients and families must make in close consultation with their doctors.

Here's some useful information about lupus and pregnancy, as discussed in WebMD's web site: