Postpartum cardiomyopathy

Postpartum cardiomyopathy

A form of cardiomyopathy unique to the latter half of pregnancy and the puerperium has now been recognized. Its incidence is quoted to be between 1: 3500 to 1 : 5000 deliveries.

Congestive cardiac failure, cardiac arrhythmias, and cardiomegaly develop in otherwise healthy young women. A number of causes: viral, toxic, immunologic and genetic have been suggested. Patients generally in the twenties, parous with often a history of multifoetal pregnancy present a few days or weeks after delivery with clinical manifestations of congestive cardiac failure. Treatment is essentially medical and involves bed rest, digitalis, diuretics, salt restriction, and oxygen as desired. In more then 60% of women, cardiac functions return to normal over a period of some weeks to about 6 months. Recurrence of the disease after subsequent pregnancies and deliveries is known. If the disorder remains unrecognized and untreated, a maternal death may occur.