Pregnancy and Heart Disease AHA Recommendation A woman who has a history of heart disease, heart murmur, rheumatic fever or high blood pressure should talk with her healthcare provider before she decides to become pregnant. A woman who has congenital heart disease has a higher risk of having a baby with some type of heart defect. If this is your case, it's very important to visit your healthcare provider often. You may need to have diagnostic tests done, such as a fetal ultrasound test. If you have a heart condition, you and your healthcare provider need to talk about it and plan for your pregnancy. You'll also need to think about what may be involved in caring for your child later. Here are some important things for any pregnant woman to do:
Some medicines that are safe to take when you're not pregnant should not be used when you're pregnant. They may harm your baby. If you have heart disease, you may need to take heart medications during your pregnancy. Your doctor can prescribe heart drugs that won't harm your baby. What cardiac ailments can be acquired during pregnancy? Some women with normal hearts experience cardiac "abnormalities" during pregnancy. Some of these are discussed here. Heart murmurs Arrhythmias Occasionally these arrhythmias are noticed when taking the pulse. Most often, there are no symptoms and no treatment is required. Sometimes arrhythmias do cause symptoms such as palpitations, dizziness or lightheadedness. On rare occasions they can even cause fainting. There can be other explanations for these symptoms, but if you have them, your doctor may want to check you for arrhythmias. Your doctor may also want to perform an ECG or have you wear a heart monitor for 24 hours to better understand your rhythm. Again, most often you won't need treatment. If you do need treatment, your doctor will advise you about how it will affect you and your baby. High blood pressure Very high blood pressure can occur, with a rapid weight gain, swollen ankles and protein in the urine. This disorder is knows as "toxemia of pregnancy" or "pre-eclampsia." It affects the blood vessels, kidneys, liver and brain. Decreased blood flow through the placenta also occurs in pre-eclampsia and can lead to slower growth in the uterus and loss of the fetus. Pre-eclampsia often necessitates a pre-term delivery. In fact, pre-eclampsia is the leading cause of premature birth in the United States. Pre-eclampsia is a serious complication of pregnancy. It requires immediate medical attention. It can progress to a life-threatening condition called eclampsia. Visual disturbances, severe headaches and abdominal pain usually precede eclampsia.
See also: Alcohol, Wine and Cardiovascular Disease Cigarette Smoking and Cardiovascular Diseases Congenital Cardiovascular Disease Congenital Cardiovascular Disease Statistics Fetal Echocardiography Heart Murmurs High Blood Pressure Rheumatic Heart Disease / Rheumatic Fever Risk Factors and Coronary Heart Disease Women, Heart Disease and Stroke Arrhythmias |
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