Introduction to Building the Cardio-Obstetric Team

The pregnant cardiac patient has become a national focus in the United States during the 21st century. Maternal mortality in the United States is on the rise, cardiac disease in pregnancy has been identified as the number one indirect cause and has driven the increase in maternal death rate greatly. This may be explained by the increasing number of women with congenital heart disease reaching reproductive age and a higher prevalence of chronic medical diseases. A triad solution includes cardiovascular screening, patient education and a multidisciplinary team. The Cardio Obstetric team is described here.