 News
13th February 2006
Pregnant heart patients at risk
Experts say that more doctors must be trained to prevent
pregnant mothers with heart disease from dying unnecessarily.
A group of medical experts say a long-term investment in the training
of professionals is needed to raise awareness of and boost skills in dealing
with the risks of congenital heart disease (CHD) in pregnancy.
There are 125,000 women with congenital heart disease in the UK and,
according to the researchers, are 100 times more likely to die in pregnancy
than other mothers-to-be.
The study says pregnancy is feasible with the right support but women
with CHD are more likely to suffer complications such as heart attack,
stroke, and even death.
There are also risks for the baby including growth restriction, premature
birth and miscarriage, as well as an increased chance of cardiac defects.
Professor of Cardiology and Adult Congenital Heart Disease at the Royal
Brompton Hospital Michael Gatzoulis says "Mothers with CHD are, on average,
100 times more likely to die during pregnancy than other pregnant women
especially if there are complications.
"If untreated, these can lead to a heart attack, stroke, flooding of
the lungs and in some cases, sadly death."
Heart disease is one of the biggest causes of maternal death, he added.
However, the report's authors say that with the right advice from a specialist
centre and careful planning of the baby's delivery, most women with CHD
can successfully have children.
They say, "Prolonged and difficult labour should be avoided, and detailed
continuous monitoring of the mother and foetus is mandatory.
"The principle is to manage the stress of labour in such a way that it
does not exceed the woman's capacity to cope with it."
Professor Gatzoulis said 1 per cent of children are born worldwide with
CHD and called for raising awareness among patients.
He said that 85 to 90 per cent of patients who had heart defects corrected
as a baby, had no contact with the hospital where they had the operation.
"There should be a database of previous patients so you can track them
down and make proper assessments. This is a life-long disease.
"Most women embark on pregnancy without knowing the risks and if they
don't have the right support the outcome is not always desirable."
Judy O'Sullivan, Cardiac Nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said
the better the care that women with CHD receive, the better the chances
of good health for both mother and baby.
"We would encourage all women with CHD, especially those with complicated
heart problems, who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy to seek expert
medical advice to manage their own heart health and the health of their
baby."
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