Key result
Congenital heart disease in pregnancy carries ~9% maternal mortality, driven by pulmonary hypertension crises.
Why the study?
Congenital heart disease and pulmonary hypertension are significant risk factors for adverse pregnancy outcomes and maternal mortality, yet data characterizing maternal and foetal outcomes in adult CHD-related pulmonary hypertension remain critical to evaluate.
Pregnancy in women with adult congenital heart disease, particularly when complicated by pulmonary hypertension, carries a high risk of maternal mortality (8.9%) and adverse fetal outcomes, underscoring the critical need for early screening and multidisciplinary management.
Congenital heart disease (CHD) and pulmonary hypertension represent significant risk factors for adverse pregnancy outcomes and are associated with considerable maternal mortality, contributing to approximately 9% of maternal deaths globally. Among cardiovascular diseases complicating pregnancy, CHD is the most prevalent subtype. Here we conducted a comprehensive literature review on maternal and foetal outcomes associated with adult CHD-related pulmonary hypertension, also incorporating data from four pulmonary hypertension centres in Indonesia. Consistent with global epidemiological trends, atrial septal defect emerged as the most frequently observed form of CHD, followed by ventricular septal defect, across the four Indonesian centres. Maternal cardiovascular complications in this context include heart failure, arrhythmias, pulmonary hypertensive crises, thromboembolic events and aortic dissection. These haemodynamic disturbances further elevate the risk of adverse foetal outcomes, such as prematurity, low birth weight, intrauterine growth restriction and foetal demise. Effective and timely management of CHD and pulmonary hypertension – centred on optimising right ventricular function during pregnancy – is critical. Implementation of a comprehensive, multidisciplinary care approach, alongside the expansion of screening programmes for CHD in pregnant populations, is essential to improve maternal and foetal outcomes.
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Anggrahini et al. (2025) conducted a review in Adult Congenital Heart Disease in Pregnancy (n=370). Among 370 pregnant women with congenital heart disease across four Indonesian centers, the maternal mortality rate was 8.9%, primarily driven by pulmonary hypertension crises.
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