Pregnancy-associated cardiac complications

Cardiovascular disease has become the most common cause of maternal mortality in the United States and non-obstetric cause of maternal mortality worldwide. Pregnancy profoundly alters maternal physiology and creates multiple maternal vulnerabilities, especially but not uniquely in women with preexisting cardiac disease. Common cardiac conditions represented in this patient population include arrhythmias, cardiomyopathies, and valvular heart disease, putting women at risk for numerous adverse events of pregnancy, including pre-eclampsia, heart failure, preterm delivery, and small-for-gestational-age babies. These complications often foretell long-term maternal cardiovascular risks and are also highly influenced by socioeconomic circumstances. To address these issues, cardio-obstetrics has emerged as a diverse and growing field spanning multiple medical specialties. Due to the breadth of pathology, a multidisciplinary Cardio-Obstetrics management team strategy is crucial. We review here common cardiac pathologies and their management throughout the peripartum period.