Table 3

Summary of the conditions, participants and study locations of the 11 publications included in this review

PublicationConditionCountryNumber of participantsAge range (years)
Congenital heart disease (CHD)Other acquired heart disease
Andersen et al,18 2008Long QT SyndromeNorwayAdults (n=7):
four women, three men
23–76 (n=7)
Claessens et al,19 2005Moderate or severe heart defects, such as tetralogy of Fallot, univentricular heart, ventricular septal defect (VSD) and aortic valve stenosis, transposition of the great arteriesBelgiumAdult patients (n=12):
six women; six men
25–40 (n=12)
Dekker et al,22 2016Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM)USAAdult women (n=92):
first pregnancy (n=49) second pregnancy (n=24) third pregnancy (n=10) >4th higher pregnancy (n=8) unreported (n=1)
17–−41 (n=92)
Gantt,21 1992Transposition of the great vessels, pulmonary atresia, atrial septal defect, double outlet right ventricle, pulmonary stenosis, truncus arteriosus, coarctation of the aortaUSAAdolescent, young adults (n=13)13–15 (n=3)
16–18 (n=4)
19–21 (n=3)
22–28 (n=3)
Gantt,20 2002One woman with childhood rheumatic fever; one adolescent woman had a heart murmur only; all other women had CHDs of varying types and severity that had been surgically repaired or palliatedUSAAdults and children (n=22):
11 mothers and 11 daughters
30–60
9–18
Hess et al,26 2010PPCMUSAAdult women (n=12):
seven women did not have other children prior to the diagnosis
19–34 (n=12)
Hess et al,27 2012PPCMUSAAdults (n=156):
148 (95%) women with PPCM
8 (5%) husbands, mothers, sisters and grandmothers.
~27 (n=156)
Ngu et al,25 2014Mild: pulmonary atresia, moderately large VSD, transposition of the great vessels, coarctation of aorta, bicuspid aortic valve, Ebstein’s anomaly of tricuspid valve
Moderate: tetralogy of Fallot, mitral valve dysplasia, subaortic stenosis
Severe: VSD, aortic valve stenosis, double outlet right ventricle
AustraliaWomen with (n=20) or without (n=2 0) CHD aged >18 years, who had ≥1 successful pregnancy.32.6 ± 5.3  Women with CHD
33.9±5.2  Women without CHD
Ngu et al,24 2014Mild: pulmonary atresia, moderately large VSD, transposition of the great vessels, coarctation of the aorta, bicuspid aortic valve, Ebstein’s anomaly of tricuspid valve
Moderate: tetralogy of Fallot, mitral valve dysplasia, subaortic stenosis
Severe: VSD, aortic valve stenosis, double outlet right ventricle
AustraliaWomen with mild CHD (n=10) with:
one child (n=4)
two children (n=4)
three children (n=2).
Women with moderate to severe CHD (n=10) with:
one child (n=5);
two children (n=3);
three children (n=2).
35.8±5.9 (n=10): women with mild CHD-mean age
28.9±3.5 (n=10): women with moderate to severe CHD
Patel, Berg et al,28 2016PPCMSwedenAdult women (n=19)28–46 (n=19)*
Patel, Schaufelberge et al,23 2016PPCMSwedenWomen (n=19)28–46 (n= 19)*
  • *Separate studies drawing on data from the same cohort of women.