Published in:
Open Access
01-12-2011 | Special Article
Pregnancy in women with pulmonary hypertension
Authors:
P. G. Pieper, E. S. Hoendermis
Published in:
Netherlands Heart Journal
|
Issue 12/2011
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Abstract
Women with pulmonary hypertension have a high risk of morbidity and mortality during pregnancy. The inability to increase cardiac output leads to heart failure while further risks are introduced with hypercoagulability and decrease in systemic vascular resistance. There is no proof that new advanced therapies for pulmonary hypertension decrease the risk, though some promising results have been reported. However, pregnancy should still be regarded as contraindicated in women with pulmonary hypertension. When pregnancy occurs and termination is declined, pregnancy and delivery should be managed by multidisciplinary services with experience in the management of both pulmonary hypertension and high-risk pregnancies.