With an ever-accelerating rate of maternal mortality brought on by cardiovascular disease in the U.S., cardiologists at UTMB Health are currently working to launch a cardio and obstetrics program.
The initiative is led by Dr. Danielle El Haddad, a general cardiologist with a specialization in cardiac imaging. It includes echocardiography/nuclear medicine and cardio-obstetrics, which she says will help ensure cardiologists like herself are more readily connected to and able to follow at-risk patients before, during and after pregnancy.
In addition to seeing patients, El Haddad’s evolving work involves plenty of awareness with primary care providers and patients about what symptoms could be signs a larger problem might be possible. Since these indications may differ depending on the phase of pregnancy or motherhood, it’s important to clearly distinguish what to look for during each period.
Before and during pregnancy
If you or someone you know is pregnant or considering getting pregnant, it’s important to be aware of certain pre-existing conditions that may cause serious health problems for both mother and baby, such as:
- Congenital heart disease.
- Valve disease.
- Pulmonary hypertension.
- Heart transplant.
- Aortic disease.
- Heart rhythm problems.
- Heart failure or heart damage.
“We want to raise awareness to make sure that these women are taken care of early on -- if possible, during pre-pregnancy -- if patients are really at high risk,” El Haddad said. “We need to refer them to cardiology early on so they can be followed regularly and be really aggressive in their preventative and screening measures.”
Postpartum
High blood pressure, heart failure, stroke and blood clots are a few common causes of heart disease at delivery or shortly postpartum. It is important to call an obstetrician or primary care physician if a patient experiences:
- Headache.
- Vision changes.
- Chest pain.
- Heart palpitations.
- High blood pressure (>140/90 mmHg).
- Shortness of breath.
- Difficulty breathing when lying flat.
- Leg swelling.
If the patient believes they are having a heart attack or stroke, they should call 911 immediately.
“The most critical period is postpartum,” Haddad said. “This is when moms have the highest risk for having heart failure, which is called peripartum cardiomyopathy. They are also at increased risk of having a heart attack. The highest risk is within seven days postpartum.”
To learn more about cardiology services at UTMB Health, visit the Heart Health website.
Click or tap here to learn more about El Haddad’s work.