Pregnancy in Women With Congenital Heart Disease
Most women with congenital heart disease can expect to have a healthy and successful pregnancy. But careful evaluation and surveillance is essential. Our Adult Congenital Heart Disease (ACHD) Program is dedicated to ensuring the best pregnancy outcomes for patients with cardiac disease, particularly those with congenital heart conditions.
We offer pregnancy service to women with congenital heart disease and those with acquired valvular heart disease, cardiomyopathies, heart rhythm disorders and connective tissue disorders (e.g. Marfan syndrome).
Our Comprehensive Assessment
Our pre-pregnancy assessment helps women better understand the potential impact of pregnancy on their health and potential risks to their unborn baby.
This assessment includes:
- A physical exam
- An assessment of the patient’s cardiac reserve
- An electrocardiogram
- An echocardiogram
- Genetic testing
Our approach is unique because we provide a comprehensive and integrated assessment of the mother’s cardiovascular reserve, which is the ability of the heart to work harder during strenuous physical activity. This helps us understand the maternal and fetal risk in women with heart disease. Our experts can easily collaborate with specialists in a variety of related fields in order to ensure the best possible patient care. These include maternal-fetal medicine specialists, fetal cardiologists, fetal surgeons, genetics counselors and many others.
High Risk Pregnancies
When high-risk patients become pregnant, our team works closely with referring obstetricians to monitor the patient and fetus closely. In the event that problems occur with the fetus, our specialists can draw on the extensive resources available through the Fetal Heart Program and the Cincinnati Children's Fetal Care Center, which is based at Cincinnati Children’s. The Fetal Care Center is one of the few comprehensive fetal care programs in the country. Their specialists provide expert care for high-risk pregnancies, including women with a Fontan circulation.
Already Pregnant?
For women who are already pregnant, we offer outpatient and inpatient assessments to evaluate the underlying heart condition, your potential obstetric risk and the specific needs of your unborn baby. Our team keeps in close communication with your obstetrician to ensure the best possible care. If the pregnancy is considered high risk, we can help coordinate care during pregnancy and after the baby is born.
