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Various studies have sought to discover the link between cardiovascular disease and any number of birth issues, from birth weight (the lower the birth weight, the higher the chance for heart disease later in life, according to some studies) to breast-feeding (breast-fed babies have a lower risk of heart disease and of impaired insulin function). While the correlations are not always clear, these studies do prove that good prenatal care, which includes close physician participation throughout the pregnancy, increases the chance of having a healthy baby.
Conditions that affect the cardiovascular system and the developing fetus, as well as the pregnant mother, include:
- Hypertension (high blood pressure). High blood pressure can be dangerous for both mother and fetus.
- Rubella (German measles). A pregnant woman who is infected with rubella runs up to a 50 percent chance of bearing a baby with birth defects including heart-related congenital defects. Before conceiving, women should speak with their physicians about their medical history, including childhood diseases and immunizations.
- Congenital heart disease. Biological mothers or fathers who had some form of congenital heart disease have an increased risk of having a baby with a heart defect.
- Preeclampsia (toxemia). A potentially dangerous condition occurring in the second half of pregnancy in which hypertension is accompanied by proteinuria, or an excess of protein in the urine and/or swelling (edema). This is viewed as a potential precursor for eclampsia. The development of preeclampsia during a woman’s first pregnancy has been linked to a high risk of heart disease later in life.
- Eclampsia. Convulsions, seizures and coma occurring anytime between the 20th week of pregnancy and the first week postpartum (after birth). About one in 200 pregnant patients with hypertension develop this condition. If untreated, it can be fatal.
- Arteriovenous malformation (AVM). This is a relatively rare condition in which blood vessels within an organ or body area lack a network of capillaries resulting in arterial blood traveling directly to a vein. This places extra pressure on the vein, and over time, it may weaken and burst, or hemorrhage. Bleeding is usually present. Pain may or may not be present.
- Arrhythmias. Pregnancy increases the likelihood of abnormal heart rhythms.
- Diabetes. Blood sugar irregularities as well as the vascular complications of diabetes can affect a pregnancy, as well as increase the risk of heart problems in the fetus.
- Smoking. Maternal smoking increases the risk of delivering a low birthweight baby. Studies have shown that exposure to second-hand smoke also may increase the risk of having a baby of lower birthweight.
- Age. The mother’s age has an effect on the pregnancy and on the developing fetus. Mothers in their 30s and 40s are monitored more closely than others.
- Drugs such as warfarin and lithium.
- Lupus (a disorder affecting the immune system) may be associated with bradycardia of the newborn.
Some conditions may prevent a healthy delivery. Severe forms of cardiomyopathy and pulmonary hypertension, as well as conditions that involve a right-to-left shunt (e.g., Tetralogy of Fallot), all affect the flow and oxygenation of blood. These heart conditions can significantly affect fetal growth and development. Women with any of these conditions should learn about the associated risks of their condition(s) before becoming pregnant. | 
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