Maternal arrhythmia and perinatal outcomes

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Maternal-Fetal Medicine
• Obstetrics

Background:

• Maternal cardiac disease (MCD) presents unique challenges during pregnancy.
• Arrhythmias can complicate pregnancies in women with MCD, necessitating investigation into their impact.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of arrhythmias on perinatal outcomes in pregnant women with MCD.
• To compare outcomes between pregnant women with MCD who experienced arrhythmias and those who did not.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study design.
• Analysis of data from 143 pregnant women with MCD who delivered between 2008 and 2013.
• Comparison of perinatal outcomes, including delivery mode and fetal growth, between women with and without arrhythmias.

Main Results:

• 25% of pregnant women with MCD experienced arrhythmias.
• Women with arrhythmias had higher rates of spontaneous vaginal delivery (64% vs. 43%) and lower rates of operative vaginal birth (8% vs. 27%).
• Pregnancies with arrhythmias showed a significantly increased risk of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) (17% vs. 5%), even after controlling for confounding factors (aOR 6.98). Two cases of placental abruption occurred in the arrhythmia group.

Conclusions:

• Arrhythmias in pregnant women with MCD are associated with a higher likelihood of spontaneous vaginal delivery.
• These pregnancies face an elevated risk of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and potentially placental abruption.