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PREGNANCY FOLLOWING INSERTION OF CARDIAC VALVE PROSTHESES: A REVIEW AND FURTHER CASE REPORT
Author(s) -
Macdonald Hamish N.
Publication year - 1970
Publication title -
bjog: an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.157
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1471-0528
pISSN - 1470-0328
DOI - 10.1111/j.1471-0528.1970.tb03577.x
Subject(s) - medicine , pregnancy , family planning , embolism , heparin , cardiac valve , obstetrics , intensive care medicine , surgery , population , research methodology , genetics , environmental health , biology
Summary A case of pregnancy after insertion of an aortic Starr Edwards valve is described and other reports have been reviewed. From study of 35 pregnancies in 31 patients with prosthetic heart valves it appears that pregnancy is not an unacceptable hazard. Despite frequent use of anticoagulant drugs, the recorded perinatal mortality is not greatly increased. It is suggested that the best plan is to use long‐acting oral anticoagulants during the antenatal period and heparin over the period of labour. Family planning advice is an important aspect of the problem and for reversible contraception oral contraceptives may be chosen as the risk of thrombo‐embolism will be minimal with the patients on anticoagulants.