Pregnancy and Heart Disease

Pregnancy and Heart Disease

Women with a history of heart disease, heart murmur, rheumatic fever or high blood pressure should talk with their health-care provider before deciding to become pregnant. Some women with normal hearts can experience cardiac “abnormalities” during pregnancy.

Cardiac ailments that can be acquired during pregnancy

Heart murmurs: A heart murmur that develops during pregnancy is due to the extra blood flowing through the heart. This doesn’t mean anything is wrong with your heart. Rarely, however, a new murmur can mean that there’s a problem with a heart valve.

Arrhythmias: Fast or slow heartbeats that may be irregular can develop in a woman with a normal heart or as a result of previously unknown heart disease. Sometimes arrhythmias do cause symptoms such as palpitations, dizziness or lightheadedness. On rare occasions, they can even cause fainting.

High blood pressure: (hypertension) is a serious complication of pregnancy. About 8 percent of all pregnant women develop hypertension, most often after the 20th week. Blood pressure should be checked often all throughout pregnancy. A serious disorder known as “toxemia of pregnancy” or “pre-eclampsia” can develop as a result of very high blood pressure, which requires immediate medical attention. Pre-eclampsia often necessitates a pre-term delivery.

If you do need treatment, your doctor will advise you about how it will affect you and your baby.

Source: American Heart Association