Pregnancy outcome in women with cardiac valve prosthesis

Twenty-one pregnancies in 16 women who conceived after cardiac valve replacement were reviewed. Oral anticoagulants were discontinued before conception or as soon as possible for subcutaneous heparin treatment (8000-14,000 IU every 8-12 h) and resumed in the second trimester until the last period of pregnancy when oral anticoagulants were replaced again by heparin. No therapeutic abortion was performed. The spontaneous abortion rate was found to be 14.3% (3/21). Preterm delivery (< or = 37 weeks) and low birth weight babies (< 2500 g) were 29.4% (5/17) and 35.3% (6/17), respectively, significantly more frequent than those of the control group (P < 0.02 and P < 0.0005). No significant statistical difference was found when the rate of spontaneous abortion [14.3% (3/21)] and the rate of fetal growth retardation [11.8% (2/17)] were compared with the control group. The majority of thromboembolic events (6/7) occurred during heparin regimen in three mothers; one of them subsequently died. No coumarin embryopathy was observed and the physical and mental development in the 16 surviving children was good. This study confirms: (1) the increased rate of preterm delivery and infants weighing < 2500 g; (2) the increased risk of maternal thrombosis related to heparin use; and (3) the good follow-up in the surviving children.