Pregnancy-related cardiac non-elective hospitalizations and pregnancy outcomes. A tertiary referral cardiac center experience

BACKGROUND: Pregnant women with cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and their offspring are at higher risk of morbidity and mortality. AIMS: To provide data on pregnancy outcomes among women with different types of CVD requiring non-elective cardiac hospitalization in a tertiary referral cardiac center. METHODS: We identified all records of non-elective hospitalizations of pregnant women hospitalized between January 2009 through March 2018, at our institution - a tertiary referral cardiac center. The incidence and types of cardiac complications during pregnancy, as well as the pregnancy and offspring outcomes, were determined. RESULTS: One hundred and sixty-one out of 328 pregnancy-related hospitalizations in 140 pregnancies were non-elective. Cardiac complications occurred in 62 (44%) pregnancies, with the most frequent being episodes of arrhythmia (22.1% pregnancies), followed by heart failure exacerbations (6.4% pregnancies). Maternal mortality reached 2.1% and affected only women with primary cardiomyopathies (CMP). Offspring mortality was 2.8%. Newborns of mothers with cardiac complications had significantly lower Apgar scores and gestational age at delivery, compared to mothers without cardiac complications. CONCLUSIONS: In our series mortality and morbidity among pregnant women with CVD hospitalizations were high. An unfavorable maternal outcome mainly affected women with CMP. Offspring of mothers with cardiovascular complications are prone to have a lower gestational age and Apgar score.