ABSTRACT
Although cardiac disease in pregnancy is rare, complicating approximately 1 per cent of all pregnancies,
rheumatic heart disease and undiagnosed or uncorrected congenital heart disease is higher in developing countries and immigrants from such countries. In the UK 50 years ago, rheumatic heart disease accounted for 90 per cent of all cardiac disease in pregnancy but, since the widespread use of antibiotics in streptococcal infection, this figure has fallen dramatically. Rheumatic heart disease nonetheless remains an important cause of cardiac disease in ethnic minority groups.
