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 block. The continuous intravenous administration of ritodrine to a mother to treat fetal brady-cardia at 28 weeks of gestation successfully increased the fetal ventricular rate by 15 bpm (from 57 to 72 bpm). Pregnancy was continued for 10 weeks, and fetal cardiac failure did not occur. The fetal ventricular rate gradually decreased to 52 bpm after discontinuation of the ritodrine infusion. It is suggested that maternal administration of ritodrine can be considered in a case of life-threatening fetal bradycardia induced by complete heart block.