Thirty four pregnant patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) were divided into 3 groups: (1) primigravida, (2) previous history of spontaneous abortion, and (3) previous history of induced abortion. Outcomes of these pregnancies showed that the average birth weight in primigravida group was significantly higher than that in the other 2 groups (P < 0.05). Grouping by clinical status of SLE at conception, there were 4 kinds of situation: (1) remission, (2) controlled, (3) active, and (4) first onset. Patients with SLE of active stage had the lowest birth weight and gestational age babies (P < 0.05). The best time for conception in SLE women was at the time of remission or controlled stage, i.e. patients treated with prednisone in a dose of 5-15 mg/day for more than 6 months or without any medication for at least 1 year.