Abstract

Pregnancy significantly impacts cardiovascular system, leading to 1% to 4% complications in women without preexisting cardiac abnormalities globally. This study aims to determine the effect of maternal heart disease on fetal and maternal outcomes. The cross-sectional study was conducted at Omdurman Maternity Hospital from February 2017 to January 2018, involving 146 patients with cardiac disease who had antenatal care in the hospital. Data was collected through a questionnaire after informed written consent, and analyzed using SPSS version 20 on a computer. The study revealed results of 146 patients, with 42.5% aged 23-35, primarily from rural areas. The majority delivered vaginally, with 32.6% undergoing a Cesarean section. The most common heart disease was rheumatic heart disease (67%), with mitral stenosis being the major lesion (41.8%). Congenital heart disease was 26%, with VSD affecting 81.6%. Acquired heart disease was seen in 7%, with 60% diagnosed as cardiomyopathies. Heart failure was the most common complications, with maternal deaths occurring in 3.4%. Perinatal complications included miscarriages (5%), terminations due to severe cardiac diseases (2%), preterm births (34.9%), IUGR (1.4%), congenital heart disease (2%), stillbirths (2%), and early neonatal deaths (2.7%). The study revealed that rheumatic heart disease and cardiomyopathies are common during pregnancy, posing significant maternal and fetal risks, including heart failure, prematurity, miscarriages, IUGR, still births, and early neonatal deaths. Future studies can focus on implementing systematic cardiac screening, enhance preconception counseling, and develop multidisciplinary protocols.