Heart Problems and Pregnancy....5

Heart Problems and Pregnancy....5

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9... Conditions that may mean pregnancy is not possible

There are a few rare conditions that usually mean a woman should not attempt a pregnancy at all, Dr. Martin says. These include:

Marfan Syndrome: An inherited disease that causes people to be very tall, with incredibly long arms, and, often, an overbite. People with Marfan (some of whom may not know they have it), have a defect in their connective tissue that causes them to be hypermobile. The concern in some pregnant patients is that the aorta is weak and can rupture, which is fatal. Women who suspect they may have this syndrome should be evaluated and advised of risks.

Pulmonary hypertension caused by Eisenmenger Syndrome: A rare condition that can develop in women who are born with a hole in the heart that causes blood to flow backwards into the lungs, creating high blood pressure in the lungs over time. When the pressure becomes great enough, the heart is no longer able to pump blood into the lungs, which means a person cannot get adequate oxygen and can die. Because pregnancy lowers the blood pressure, it often brings that dangerous scenario on faster.

Severe aortic stenosis: In this condition, the aortic valve, which is responsible for blood flow to the body, is narrowed, making it difficult for blood to pass through. Very quickly, blood can back up in the heart and lungs leading to heart failure. The good news is that can be fixed through surgery, but women who have aortic stenosis need to be evaluated before pregnancy to see if surgery can repair the problem and make pregnancy possible.

History of a heart attack "In most cases, we advise against pregnancy, because pregnancy loss rates and maternal complication rates are very, very high in someone who has had a heart attack," Dr. Martin says.