Cardiac adaption during pregnancy in women with congenital heart disease and healthy women

Objective Pregnancy in women with congenital heart disease (CHD) is associated with deterioration in cardiac function. However, longitudinal data are scarce. This study describes serial changes in cardiac dimensions and function during pregnancy in women with CHD and compares these with healthy pregnant women (controls).Methods Eight tertiary centres prospectively enrolled 125 pregnant women with CHD (pregnancy durationResults Age and parity were comparable between both groups (p>0.1). Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF)Conclusions Absolute levels of ventricular function parameters and diameters differ between CHD and controls, but changes during and after pregnancy are generally comparable. However, different patterns over time seen for TAPSE and LVEDD in women with right-sided and left-sided CHD, respectively, compared with controls indicate the importance of echocardiographic follow-up during pregnancy in women with CHD.