Cardiac disease in pregnancy

Cardiac disease is a significant cause of maternal mortality. In the UK in the last maternal mortality report, it was the leading cause of maternal death (2.3 deaths per 100,000 maternities). Some mothers are leaving having a family until later in life and present with a variety of acquired heart conditions and there are increasing numbers of patients with corrected congenital heart disease surviving to childbearing age. It is essential to have a good knowledge of the cardiac conditions, how pregnancy affects these conditions and an understanding of the physiological changes during pregnancy. These patients can turn up on any delivery suite or in any hospital at any time.