Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2017 Oct-Dec;13(4):209-215.
doi: 10.14797/mdcj-13-4-209.

Pregnancy in Women with Cardiovascular Diseases

Karolina Adam  1
Affiliations
Review

Pregnancy in Women with Cardiovascular Diseases

Karolina Adam. Methodist Debakey Cardiovasc J. 2017 Oct-Dec.

Abstract

Patients with cardiovascular disease represent a significant cohort at risk for complications during pregnancy. The normal physiologic changes of pregnancy could further compromise the hemodynamics of various cardiovascular conditions, resulting in clinical deterioration and even death. The fetus of a gravida with cardiovascular disease also has an increased risk of morbidity, including an increased risk of inherited cardiac genetic disorders, fetal growth restriction, and premature delivery. These complications also increase the risk for antenatal and perinatal mortality. Ideally, the management of a patient with cardiac disease who is considering pregnancy should start with pre-conception counseling that outlines the maternal and fetal complications associated with her particular cardiac disorder. The pregnancy is best managed by a dedicated team of specialists in maternal-fetal medicine, cardiology, cardiovascular surgery, anesthesiology, and neonatology, preferably in a tertiary care center.

Keywords: cardiovascular disease in pregnancy; maternal cardiac dysfunction; maternal-fetal medicine; prenatal care.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest Disclosure: The author has completed and submitted the Methodist DeBakey Cardiovascular Journal Conflict of Interest Statement and none were reported.

References

    1. Fretts RC, Schmittdiel J, McLean FH, Usher RH, Goldman MB.. Increased maternal age and the risk of fetal death. N Engl J Med. 1995. October 12; 333 15: 953– 7. - PubMed
    1. Cunningham FG, Leveno KJ. Childbearing among older women--the message is cautiously optimistic. N Engl J Med. 1995. October 12; 333 15: 1002– 4. - PubMed
    1. Child JS, Perloff JK, Koos B.. Management of pregnancy and contraception in congenital heart disease (Chapter 9). : Perloff JK, Child J, Aboulhosn J, . Congenital heart disease in adults. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders Elsevier; 2008. August 28 p 504.
    1. Kuklina E, Callaghan W. Chronic heart disease and severe obstetric morbidity among hospitalisations for pregnancy in the USA: 1995–2006. BJOG. 2011. February; 118 3: 345– 52. - PubMed
    1. Drenthen W1, Pieper PG, Roos-Hesselink JW, . et al. .; ZAHARA Investigators Outcome of pregnancy in women with congenital heart disease: a literature review. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2007. June 19; 49 24: 2303– 11. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources