Managing heart conditions in pregnancy

Murphy, Margaret M.

Managing heart conditions in pregnancy

Files

CVD_&_Pregnancy_Cardiac_Professional_2010.pdf(239.77 KB)

Published Version

Date

2010-11

Authors

Murphy, Margaret M.

Publisher

MedMedia Group

Abstract

Healthcare professionals are encountering more andmore women with cardiac conditions contemplating pregnancyor when pregnant than ever before. Advances insurgical treatment of congenital cardiac anomalies meanmany more women are now reaching childbearing age andcontemplating pregnancy than would hitherto have beenseen.Due to the fact that Irish figures have not been availablethus far on the effects of cardiac disease on pregnancy andvice versa, we have come to rely on statistics from our nearestneighbour the UK. The Centre for Maternal and ChildEnquiries (CMACE) is an independent charity. Its missionis to improve the health of mothers, babies and children bycarrying out confidential enquiries and other related workon a UK wide basis and widely disseminating the results. Itproduces a report every three years into maternal fatalitiesin the previous three-year period. The most recent reportwas published in 2007, reflecting the deaths that occurredin 2002-2005. In the most recent CMACE triennial reportinto maternal mortality (2002-2005) for the first time cardiacdisease was found to be the leading cause of maternaldeath among women in the UK, with a maternal mortalityrate for heart disease of 2.27 per 100,000 maternities.

Keywords

IHD , Ischaemic heart disease , Myocardial infarction , MI , Pregnancy , Obese , Overweight

Citation

Murphy, Margaret M. (2010) 'Managing Heart Conditions in Pregnancy', Forum: Journal of the Irish College of General Practitioners, November, pp. 49-51.