Congenital Heart Disease & its Impact on Pregnancy

Pregnancy can be an exciting time for a woman and her family. Whether you are expecting your first baby or adding to your existing family, the time of pregnancy offers a woman an opportunity to connect physically and spiritually with her developing infant.

For some women, however, the period of pregnancy can mark significant complications in health. This is especially true of pregnant women who suffer from pre-existing health complications, such as those affecting the cardiovascular system.

Pregnancy creates a great burden upon the cardiovascular system of a woman. Because of changes in a woman's bodily fluid levels, the cardiovascular system is compromised, especially in women with pre-existing CHD, congenital heart disease.

If you are a woman who has suffered from congenital heart disease (CHD), the odds are highly likely that you have already undergone, at least, one form of heart surgery prior to reaching your childbearing years. When considering pregnancy, you will want to discuss your pre-existing congenital heart disease complications with both your cardiovascular surgeon as well as your obstetrician.

In women with pre-existing congenital heart disease, 11 percent of the pregnancies often end in complications in either mother or infant, or even both. In many cases, the pregnancy complications present as premature delivery of the infant and low birth weight.

In addition to infant factors, as a pregnant woman with CHD, you will need to be monitored closely for complications associated with hypertension, pre-eclampsia and even thromboembolic complications. Even more disconcerting is the significant risk for miscarriage during pregnancy, again, due to the change in vascular function and control over bodily fluids and volume control.