Facts and Numbers
Risks to patients with congenital heart defects during pregnancy
The following conditions present a serious risk to patients with congenital heart defects during pregnancy:
- Myocardial insufficiency (weakness of the heart muscle)
- Cardiac dysrhythmias
- Syncope (sudden loss of consciousness)
- Endocarditis (inflammation of the heart valves)
- Development of thromboses and embolisms
- Brain abscesses
- Increased risk of cyanosis
- Tearing of the main artery
- Tearing of already dilated parts of the main cardiac or cerebral arteries
- Sudden cardiac death
Typical dangers for the unborn child are:
- Miscarriage
- Premature birth
- Abnormally low birth weight
Contraceptives
For most young women with heart disease, their condition does not affect their choice of contraception. If no ideal method of contraception is available, the least unfavourable option should be selected. For some heart patients, becoming pregnant can pose a much greater risk than the risks posed by some contraceptives.
Gynaecologist’s considerations | Cardiologist’s considerations | |
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Conventional birth-control pills |
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‘Mini-pills’ (low-dose gestagen), contraceptive injections, contraceptive implants (both gestagen) |
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Coil intrauterine device with or without hormones |
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Morning-after pills (gestagen) |
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Barrier methods |
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Reference: Chief Physician Ulf Thilén, presentation at Paediatric Cardiology Conference, Västerås, 2005