Heart condition "need not preclude pregnancy"

[Lisa Salberg]

HEADLINE: HEADLINE: Heart condition "need not preclude pregnancy"

SOURCE: Nursing Times Online 04/07/03

BYLINE: Health Newswire reporters

BODY:


Study results published in Heart show that most women with hypertrophic
cardiomyopathy tolerate pregnancy well, with symptoms worsening in less than 10
per cent. The researchers point out that while most of the women in their study
sample had no significant cardiac problems during their pregnancies, rare
complications do occur, and that planned deliveries and foetal monitoring are
still sometimes necessary. They also warn that their study did not include
patients with previous heart failure or severe restrictive physiology " and we
would not recommend pregnancy in these patients".Heart condition "need not preclude pregnancy"

[Sarah]

Re: Heart condition "need not preclude pregnancy"

Cool. That is great news. However, has anyone talked to HCM women about their health after having the baby? Do HCM women who've had kids fare better or worse than those who don't? Anyone gathering stats on that? I think that would be good to know, too.

S

[Cynaburst]

Re: Heart condition "need not preclude pregnancy"

This is just my own experience....I don't know what the answer is Sarah, but I had relatively mild HCM symptoms before pregnancy....I wasn't even on meds before or during pregnancy. However, since my pregnancy which was now almost 2 years ago, my HCM symptoms have gotten worse, my gradient has quadrupled, my arrythmias have gotten worse, and I have had pre-syncope episodes that I never had before the pregnancy. I myself wonder if the pregnancy made the HCM progress in some way, but I guess the jury is still out. My doc says that my symptom progression is also following the same trend as my dad's...i.e. he first noticed symptoms in his 30s, and he never gave birth to a baby. At least, not one that I know of!!

[Sarah]

Re: Heart condition "need not preclude pregnancy"

Dear Cyn,

I know two women with HCM who had kids. One said that it ruined her health and the other says that it didn't, but she is now partically incapacitated from HCM complications, so I'm not buying it.

Obviously, HCM is so individualized it is not fair to make judgements based on small samples, which is why I hope that someone decides to track how women do for real.

take care,

S

[Lisa Salberg]

Re: Heart condition "need not preclude pregnancy"

Sarah, I do not think it is possible to look at non-HCM'ers vs. HCM'er post pregnancy and figure out who did "better".
A few things to concider
1. When we get older our health changes - - no matter what diesease we may or may not have.
2. We all tolorate things differently (with or without HCM)
3. Most women with HCM are diagnosed post pregnancy (most people by my stats are diagnosed after the age of 27)...but most men are diagnosed at the same time...I ditto the comment above...the men did not have kids

Personal experience:
I had my daughter 8 yrs ago - I felt GREAT pregnant!! The delivery was a little tricky but was ok. Since her birth I feel as if my HCM is still on the same track as it was pre-pregnancy - - this meaning I was slowly feeling more symptoms as I go older and I continue to have changes in my symptoms.
My sister had 2 kids, she also had more symptoms as she got older - but I can not relate her symptom progression in anyway to the birth of the kids. Her kids were 10 and 13 when she died.

I know many people via the HCMA with sucessful pregnancies and I know a few who encountered additional problems post pregnancy. Why??? I do not know??? I wish I did.

In the end the overwhelming majority of those with HCM do well with pregnancy and have no additional problems post pregnancy. Yet some people will not tolorate pregnancy due to there specific situations.

Best wishes,
Lisa

[Sarah]

Re: Heart condition "need not preclude pregnancy"

L

I was thinking of female HCMers who had kids vs. HCMers who did not have kids --which is apples to apples and not apples to oranges.

They track myectomy vs. no-myectomy, right? Why not kids/no kids?

I am glad most women don't get worse, but if we tracked it, maybe we would learn something so the women who would probably get worse could have a heads up. Just wishing...

S

[karen]

Re: Heart condition "need not preclude pregnancy"

Hey, I am one of those HCM'ers who had a child. I had my surgery in Dec. 1987. I stayed on Isoptin till 5 years ago. I got pregnant and delivered a healty baby Giril namded Sarah on Sept. 2, 1990. Because of the disease, and how little is known of here in Nova Scotia, I was put in the hospital for 4 months prior to having her. They were orginally going to deliver her at 28 weeks, then at 32 weeks, but I did so well that they allowed me to go home and then come back. I did deliver 2 weeks early, by natural delivery, with epidermals of course. The wonders of drugs, lol. My blood pressure stayed normal and symptoms did not get any worse during my pregnancy and it was well worth it.

[Lisa Salberg]

Re: Heart condition "need not preclude pregnancy"

I think we have all had the pleasure of "meeting" your Sarah, whe seems like a wonderful young lady!

How has your health been post motherhood? Have you noticed any significant changes? I think that is what the other Sarah is attempting to figure out.

Any input is helpful.

Lisa

[karen]

Re: Heart condition "need not preclude pregnancy"

My health was pretty good until about 3 years ago. That is when I started getting lightheaded more, and the sob began to get worse again, chest pains came back, and I get these weird episodes where I feel that I am going to pass out but I don't. But motherhood has been good. My husband and daughter have been very supportive, and when I have bad days they understand. But my pregnancy was very good. And even after, my health remained as good as could be expected. I never did get rid of the sob even after surgery and it was no worse with the pregnancy. My blood pressure remained the same, which was surprising to the doctors and I had very little swelling during the pregnancy.

[mjesaitis]

Re: Heart condition "need not preclude pregnancy"

My HCM didn't get worse after I had my kids, but it did after I got my divorce (she broke my heart)

Matt

[Lisa Salberg]

Re: Heart condition "need not preclude pregnancy"

Matt,
SENDING YOU A HUG!!!
Your such a sweet heart...how could she!

Lisa