Cardiac Disease in Pregnancy

When a pregnant patient or a first degree family member has a congenital heart disease, then the risk for these diseases increases in the fetus. The incidence is 0% to 10% depending on the specific lesion when the fetus is affected. Approximately 50% have the same anomaly as the mother. Rate of growth restriction and prematurity is increased in pregnant women with cardiac disease.

Early to mid systolic and soft murmurs (grades I - II) are very common during pregnancy (> 90%). These murmurs are rarely associated with cardiac pathology. Systolic murmurs that are loud or long are frequently associated with cardiac pathology. Late systolic, pan systolic and diastolic murmurs are abnormal and require further evaluation by echocardiography.