Pregnancy and Congenital Heart Disease

For some women with congenital heart disease (CHD) pregnancy often carries risks for both mother and baby. Women with CHD, for instance, are eight times more likely to experience cardiovascular complications during pregnancy and six times more likely to die compared to women without CHD. Women with complex CHD are also twice as likely to have cardiovascular complications, compared to those with simple heart defects.

The good news is that early, comprehensive interventions can help.

With this in mind, the cardiac experts with the Montefiore Adult Congenital Heart Disease (MAtCH) Program routinely partner with Montefiore’s Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine team, drawing upon their distinctive knowledge, understanding and research to improve our patients’ outcomes. 

Working together, this multi-disciplinary team of physicians our MAtCH program specialists:

• Provide comprehensive, integrative and seamless care to women with CHD.
• Create a comprehensive risk assessment profile to govern care and treatment.
• Manage the health of both the mother and developing fetus from pre-pregnancy counseling, during pregnancy and all aspects of delivery and post-partum care.

Managing expectant mothers with CHD safely through pregnancy can often be extremely challenging. The MAtCH program—in collaboration with the Division of Maternal & Fetal Medicine—ensures that pregnant women with CHD get the specialized, collaborative and seamless access to treatment that they need.