A Growing Problem: Maternal Death and Peripartum Complications Are Higher in Women With Grown-Up Congenital Heart Disease

The GUCH parturients, especially those with VSD, have increased risk of mortality and peripartum complications compared with other age-matched women. Despite these risks, nearly 50% of GUCH patients deliver at nonteaching hospitals. Current national practice patterns for GUCH women are inadequate, and outcomes could be improved by education and proper triage of even relatively “simple” GUCH lesions such as atrial septal defect and VSD. Further studies that investigate risk-adjusted outcomes in a variety of care settings are necessary to resolve this complex issue.