Obstetric Outcomes in Pregnant Women with Cardiac Disease at Lady Reading Hospital: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Objectives: To determine the frequency of maternal and fetal outcomes among pregnant women with cardiac disease presenting at Lady Reading Hospital and to explore the association of selected maternal comorbidities with adverse obstetric outcomes. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Lady Reading Hospital. A total of 85 pregnant women with confirmed cardiac disease were recruited. Data regarding demographic characteristics, cardiac disease classification, maternal outcomes, and fetal outcomes were collected using medical records and patient interviews. Maternal outcomes included mode of delivery, postpartum hemorrhage, and maternal mortality, while fetal outcomes included preterm delivery, intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR), intrauterine fetal death (IUFD), and stillbirth. Results: The mean age of participants was 30.07 ± 6.00 years. Rheumatic heart disease was the most common cardiac disorder (40.0%), followed by congenital heart disease (32.9%). Normal vaginal delivery was the most frequent maternal outcome, observed in 35.3% of patients, followed by planned cesarean section in 23.5%. Postpartum hemorrhage occurred in 8.2% of participants, while maternal mortality was observed in 2.4%. Among fetal outcomes, intrauterine growth retardation was the most common complication (14.1%), followed by preterm delivery (11.8%), intrauterine fetal death (4.7%), and stillbirth (3.5%). No statistically significant associations were observed between smoking, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and adverse maternal or fetal outcomes (p>0.05). Conclusion: Pregnancy complicated by cardiac disease was associated with considerable maternal and fetal morbidity in this study population. Although normal vaginal delivery remained the most frequent mode of delivery, adverse maternal and fetal outcomes, including postpartum hemorrhage, maternal mortality, IUGR, preterm delivery, IUFD, and stillbirth, were also observed. Early risk stratification, multidisciplinary management, and routine fetal growth monitoring may improve obstetric outcomes in this high-risk population.