General and obstetric characteristics of the study population
| Study population | |
| General characteristics | N=197 pregnancies |
| Maternal age (years) | 34 (30–37) |
| >40 | 31 (15.7) |
| BAME ethnicity | 32 (16.2) |
| Pregestational BMI (kg/m2) | 22.6 (20.4–25.6) |
| >30 | 16 (9.3) |
| Diabetes mellitus | 2 (1.0) |
| Chronic hypertension | 15 (7.6) |
| Substance abuse | 21 (10.7) |
| Risk factors for CVD | 78 (39.6) |
| Type of HD | |
| Arrhythmia | 44 (22.3) |
| Coronary artery disease | 7 (3.6) |
| Cardiomiopathy | 26 (13.2) |
| Congenital | 54 (27.4) |
| Valvular | 57 (28.9) |
| Other | 9 (4.6) |
| Obstetric history and pregnancy course | N=197 pregnancies |
| First pregnancy | 64 (32.5) |
| Nulliparity | 130 (66.0) |
| Previous caesarean delivery | 46 (23.4) |
| >1 | 11 (23.9) |
| For cardiology reasons (n=9 missing) | 10 (21.7) |
| ART conception | 13 (6.6) |
| Multiple gestation | 12 (6.1) |
| GA at first antenatal obstetric assessment (weeks) | 9 (8–11) |
| Low dose aspirin | 45 (22.8) |
| Low molecular weight heparin | 34 (17.3) |
| therapeutic dosage | 10 (29.4) |
| Miscarriage | 4 (2.0) |
| Stillbirth (>22 weeks) | 3 (1.5) |
| Pregnancy induced hypertension | 33 (16.8) |
| GDM | 22 (11.2) |
Data presented as median (IQR) or number (percentage).
Substance abuse includes cigarette smoking, drugs, alcohol.
Risk factors for CVD include maternal age >40 years, pregestational BMI >35 kg/m2, BAME ethnicity, pregestational diabetes, chronic hypertension, substance abuse, history of cardiotoxic chemotherapy.
Type of HD: bicuspid valve disease was classified within the valvular category; isolated pulmonic stenosis was categorised as valvular, but if pulmonic stenosis existed concurrently with any other cardiac malformations, it was categorised as CHD.
Low-molecular-weight Heparin, therapeutic dosage: 6000 IU two times a day in 9 pregnancies and 8000 IU two times a day in one pregnancy.
Pregnancy-induced hypertension includes gestational hypertension and pre-eclampsia.
ART, assisted reproductive technology; BAME, black, Asian and minor ethnicities; BMI, body mass index; CHD, congenital HD; CVD, cardiovascular disease; GA, gestational age; GDM, gestational diabetes mellitus.; HD, heart disease.