Pregnancy places an increased demand on a woman’s heart. Therefore, women with existing heart disease require special care during pregnancy and delivery to prevent complications.

Heart-related conditions may also develop in otherwise healthy women who become pregnant. These gestational heart-related problems include peripartum cardiomyopathy, pregnancy-induced hypertension, preeclampsia, blood clots and others.

Congenital heart disease could also develop in the fetus. Congenital heart diseases include abnormalities with the structure of the heart, including the valves and chambers, and problems with the vessels that carry blood to and from the heart.

Women who are pregnant, or are planning on becoming pregnant in the near future, are encouraged to work closely with their physicians to determine which diagnostic tests or preventive measures (e.g., medication, bed rest) may be the most appropriate for them and for their developing baby. Women with heart disease or other heart conditions are encouraged to discuss pregnancy with their physicians before deciding to become pregnant.