Maternal and Perinatal Outcomes of Pregnant Women with Heart Disease in Three Yaoundé Referral Hospitals

Heart disease in pregnancy is the cause of significant maternal and perinatal morbidity. We wanted to evaluate the maternal and perinatal outcomes of pregnant women with heart disease in Yaoundé, Cameroon. This was a cross sectional study with retrospective data collection of 45 pregnancies in 42 women with heart disease followed at three Yaoundé referral hospitals in Yaoundé, Cameroon from January 1st 2015 to December 31st 2020. We collected data on maternal obstetrical and perinatal outcomes. The frequency of pregnancies with heart diseases was 0.1%. The mean maternal age was 29.05 ± 6.5 years. At first antenatal visit, all patients were in class I (84.4%) and II (15.6%) of the New-York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class. Valvular heart disease (51.1%) was the most common type followed by cardiomyopathy (37.7%). Over half of the deliveries were vaginal (51.1%). A cesarean section was generally indicated for the usual obstetrical reasons (54.5%) and for heart disease (31.8%). Complications included 17 (37.7%) cases of heart failure, 6 (13.3%) cases of pulmonary edema, 2 (04.4%) cases of pulmonary embolism, 3 (06.6%) maternal deaths and 3 (06.3%) perinatal deaths, 14 (29.7%) premature births and 3 cases of (6.3%) intrauterine growth retardation. The maternal deaths were cases complicated by pulmonary edema and all had dilated cardiomyopathy. The maternal and perinatal outcomes of pregnant women with heart disease are marked in our environment by increased morbidity and mortality. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the prenatal, per partum and postpartum management of this high-risk group.