Clinical Study of Heart Disease Complicating Pregnancy

Heart disease complicating pregnancy is considered as a high risk situation. Increased cardiac demands during the course of pregnancy potentially increase morbidity and mortality in women with underlying heart disease. Risk of adverse outcome is more in rural population as compared to its urban counterpart. A prospective clinical study of 35 cases of pregnancy complicated by heart disease, reporting to tertiary care hospital for delivery ,was carried out to find out the incidence and maternal and fetal outcome. The incidence of heart disease in pregnancy in the present study was 1.3%%.Most of the women (91%) belonged to low socioeconomic class in the rural population..Rheumatic heart lesions constituted 77% of the cases. .Mitral stenosis was the commonest lesion in 40% of cases. Twenty two (62.8%) women delivered spontaneously vaginally at term and 4 ( 11% ) delivered prematurely. There were 7 ( 20%) cases of prophylactic forceps delivery. Cesarean section was performed in 2 cases .There was no maternal death .The perinatal mortality was 40 per 1000 live births. Early diagnosis of heart disease ,regular antenatal check up ,institutional delivery, limiting family size can reduce the maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity associated with heart disease.