Complete endocardial cushion defects in pregnancy: a case report

Complete endocardial cushion defect is a congenital heart disease characterized by a variable deficiency of the atrioventricular area in the developing heart. The mortality rate for an unrepaired endocardial cushion defect in pregnancy and the postpartum period is high.

We present a rare case of a pregnant woman with complete endocardial cushion defect. A 20-year-old Chinese woman with unrepaired complete endocardial cushion defect delivered a premature male baby at 33 weeks and six days of pregnancy in our hospital. The baby had a normal human karyotype and a birth defect of hypospadias deformity. Our patient died from heart failure 10 minutes after delivery. She had severe pulmonary hypertension and suspected trisomy 21.

Our experience further emphasizes the necessity of prenatal screening for congenital heart defects and of prompt surgical correction for endocardial cushion defects during infancy. Mortality for endocardial cushion defect during pregnancy and the postpartum period is high and women with complete endocardial cushion defect should avoid pregnancy, especially those women who cannot intellectually judge their risks.