Reproductive patterns and pregnancy outcomes in women with congenital heart disease--a Swedish population-based study

To study women diagnosed with congenital heart disease (CHD) with respect to characteristics related to their own births, their subsequent likelihood of giving birth and the obstetric and neonatal outcomes of their pregnancies.

Population-based register study.

All women born in 1973-1983 who were alive and living in Sweden at 13 years of age (n=500 245).

Women diagnosed with CHD (n=2 216) were compared with women without CHD (n=492 476). A total of 188 867 mother-firstborn-offspring pairs were identified and available for analysis.

Mothers of women with CHD were more often older and single/unmarried. Women with CHD were more often born preterm or small-for-gestational age (SGA) than women without CHD, more likely to have been born with a cesarean section, to have given birth during the study period, and to be younger at the time of their first pregnancy. Women with CHD were also more prone to give birth to children preterm or SGA and their babies were more often delivered by cesarean section with a higher frequency of congenital abnormality.

Women with CHD were more likely to have been born preterm or SGA and these outcomes were repeated in the next generation. Women with CHD should not be discouraged from pregnancy. Prenatal diagnostics should be discussed and offered to these women, as there is an increased risk for congenital abnormalities.