Pregnancy in women with congenital heart disease: A guide for the general cardiologist

Remarkable advances in the care and survival of congenital heart disease (CHD) patients have led to increasing numbers of young women with CHD who carry a pregnancy with significant risk. The profound hemodynamic changes that naturally occur during gestation may unmask CHD or exacerbate an existing condition and place both the woman and fetus in jeopardy. The caring cardiologist should be familiar with the specific lesion and anticipate complications. Pregestational counseling and a multidisciplinary team approach during pregnancy are key for a successful pregnancy and favorable outcomes. In this review we discuss the evaluation of the expecting CHD patient and focus on the commonly encountered lesions.