ABSTRACT

Valvular heart disease is the most common form of acquired heart disease in pregnancy but, overall, congenital heart disease is the most common form of heart disease in pregnant women. Women with pulmonary hypertension have a 50% risk of dying during pregnancy, mainly during or soon after delivery. Pregnant patients with heart disease may complain of breathlessness, palpitations, fatigue or swelling of the feet. These symptoms, which are common in patients with normal heart during a normal pregnancy, must be carefully evaluated. The haemodynamic effects of pregnancy on the mother depend on the underlying anatomical and physiological abnormality and vary during pregnancy, at delivery and postpartum. Patients who are considered to be an acceptable risk will be monitored carefully before, during and after pregnancy, with particular attention to drug treatments. Most cardiologists and obstetricians recommend termination of pregnancy in pregnant women with a high-risk cardiac condition. The risks of early termination are lower than the risks of continuing the pregnancy.