OBJECTIVES:

To evaluate the maternal and fetal outcomes of pregnancies, complicated by cardiac disease in a developing country.

METHODS:

A retrospective analysis was carried out in 110 pregnancies in women with cardiac disease from January 1995 to December 2006 at a tertiary care centre in India.

RESULTS:

Rheumatic heart disease with isolated mitral stenosis (n=49) was the predominant cardiac problem. 9 Patients (8.18%) had undergone surgical correction prior to pregnancy. Cardiac complications were noted in 20 (18.18%) patients, out of which 12 had pulmonary oedema. Maternal mortality was noted in 4 patients (3.6%), 3 of which were due to pulmonary oedema. The incidence of small for gestational age was noted in 48 (46.3%) patients, still birth was noted in seven (6.8%) babies and neonatal death was noted in three patients (2.9%).

CONCLUSIONS:

Rheumatic heart disease was the predominant cardiac problem in pregnancy. Maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality are strongly correlated with maternal cardiac functional classification.

Keywords: pregnancy, cardiac disease, rheumatic heart disease