Pregnancy in Patients With Pre-Existing Cardiomyopathies

To varying extents, women with pre-existing cardiomyopathies have a limited cardiovascular reserve. The hemodynamic challenges of pregnancy, labor, and delivery pose unique risks to this group of patients, which can result in clinical decompensation with overt heart failure, arrhythmias, and rarely, maternal death. A multidisciplinary team approach and a controlled delivery are crucial to adequate management of patients with underlying heart disease. Pre-conception planning and risk assessment are essential, and proper counseling should be offered to expectant mothers with regard to both the risks that pregnancy poses and the implications for future offspring. In this article, we will review the hemodynamic stressors that pregnancy places upon women with pre-existing cardiomyopathies and risk assessment and discuss what evidence exists with regard to the management of 2 forms of cardiomyopathy during pregnancy, labor, and delivery: dilated and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.