women s health issues
Heart Disease During Pregnancy
Treatment of Heart Disease During Pregnancy
Avoidance of certain medications during pregnancy During labor, an epidural injection Doctors advise pregnant women with heart disease to do the following: Schedule frequent check-ups Avoid gaining excess weight Avoid stress Get enough rest Overview of Anemia , if it develops, is promptly treated. Certain medications used to treat heart disease are not used during pregnancy. They include the following: Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors None Aldosterone antagonists ( Certain medications used to treat abnormal heart rhythms ( Drugs to Treat Abnormal Heart Rhythms , such as Which other heart medications are continued during pregnancy depends on how severe the heart disease is and what the risks to the fetus are. For example,warfarinis usually avoided because it can increase the risk of birth defects. However, it may be given to women who have a mechanical heart valve becausewarfarinreduces the risk that blood clots will form in these valves. Such clots can be fatal. If the heart is not functioning well, women may be givendigoxin(used to treat heart failure), and bed rest or limited activity is advised, beginning at 20 weeks of pregnancy. During labor, pain is treated as needed. If women have severe heart disease, doctors may inject an anesthetic into the lower back—into the space between the spine and the outer layer of tissue covering the spinal cord (epidural space). This procedure is called an Pain relief . This anesthetic blocks sensation in the lower spinal cord, reducing the stress response to pain and the urge to push. The purpose is to reduce the strain on the heart. Pushing during labor strains the heart because it makes the heart work harder. Because these women cannot push, the baby may have to be delivered with An epidural injection should not be used if women have Aortic Stenosis . A Women are monitored closely immediately after delivery and are checked periodically by a cardiologist for several weeks afterward. 