Clinical study of heart disease complicating pregnancy in a tertiary care centre

Heart disease complicating pregnancy is considered as a high risk situation. Increased cardiac demands during the course of pregnancy potentially increase morbidity and mortality in women with underlying heart disease. Risk of adverse outcome is more in rural population as compared to its urban counterpart. A prospective clinical study of 170 cases of pregnancy complicated by heart disease, reporting to tertiary care hospital for delivery, was carried out to find out the incidence and maternal and fetal outcome. The incidence of heart disease in pregnancy in the present study was 1.2%. Most of the women (91%) belonged to low socioeconomic class in the rural population. Rheumatic heart disease constituted 39% of the cases. Isolated Mitral regurgitation was the commonest lesion accounting for about 20% of cases. Isolated MS accounted for 9% cases while Mitral stenosis combined with other cardiac lesions constituted 52% .Congenital heart disease constituted 45% of the cases. Among the 124 women who delivered, 25 (20%) women delivered spontaneously vaginally, 39 (31.4%) cases of prophylactic forceps delivery. Cesarean section was performed in 59 cases .There were 3 maternal deaths. Early diagnosis of heart disease, regular antenatal check up, institutional delivery, limiting family size can reduce the maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity associated with heart disease.