Cardiovascular Care for Pregnant Women With Cardiovascular Disease

Background: Cardio-obstetrics refers to a team-based approach to maternal care that includes multidisciplinary collaboration among maternal fetal medicine, cardiology, and others.

Objectives: This study sought to describe clinical characteristics, maternal and fetal outcomes, and cardiovascular readmissions in a cohort of pregnant women with underlying cardiovascular disease (CVD) followed by a cardio-obstetrics team.

Methods: We identified patients evaluated by our cardio-obstetrics team from January 1, 2010, through December 31, 2019, at a quaternary care hospital in New York City. Information was collected regarding demographics, comorbidities, underlying CVD, medications, maternal and fetal outcomes, and cardiovascular readmissions. Each patient was assigned a Cardiac Disease in Pregnancy (CARPREG) II score based on her clinical characteristics and underlying CVD.

Results: During the study period, 306 pregnant women (median age 29 years, 52.9% Hispanic or Latino) with CVD were seen. Most women (74.2%) were insured through Medicaid. The most common forms of CVD included arrhythmia (n = 88, 28.8%), congenital heart disease (n = 72, 23.5%), and cardiomyopathy (n = 72, 23.5%). The median CARPREG II score was 3; 130 patients (42.5%) had a CARPREG II score ≥4. Gestational diabetes occurred in 11.4%, gestational hypertension in 9.5%, and preeclampsia in 12.1% of women. Intensive care unit admission was required for 27 patients (8.8%) during delivery. Median gestational age for delivery was 38 weeks (interquartile range: 37 to 39). Live birth occurred in 98% of pregnancies. One maternal death occurred within a year of delivery in a woman with Eisenmenger syndrome. Following delivery, 30-day readmission rate was 2% and the rate of readmission from 30 to 90 days postpartum was 4.6%. Median follow-up was 2.6 years.

Conclusions: In a population of primarily Medicaid-insured pregnant women managed by a cardio-obstetrics team, maternal outcomes were encouraging and readmission rates following delivery were low. Prospective studies are needed to evaluate the impact of cardio-obstetric models of care on maternal outcomes.