Cardiovascular Disease Among Women and Birthing Individuals After Delivering a Child With Congenital Heart Disease.

BACKGROUND

Individuals have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease later in life if they give birth to a child with congenital heart disease (CHD). The mechanism of this association has not been well documented.

OBJECTIVES

The authors aimed to describe the prevalence of cardiovascular disease and risk factors in women and birthing individuals 18 to 23 years after delivery of a child with CHD compared to normative data.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was distributed to mothers whose infants with CHD had undergone cardiac surgery in 1998 to 2003 and previously enrolled in a prospective observational study. We compared rates of cardiovascular disease and risk factors to age- and sex-matched parous women and birthing individuals from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

RESULTS

An attempt was made to contact 533 mothers; 222 (42%) completed the survey. The mean age was 52 years, 86% were White, and 69% completed college. Common cardiovascular risk factors were high cholesterol (32%), hypertension (27%), preterm delivery (32%), and hypertensive disorder of pregnancy (13%). Overall, 15.3% reported presence of cardiovascular disease as defined by atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, heart failure, valvular disease, or arrhythmia. A higher severity of child's CHD was significantly associated with self-reported maternal cardiovascular disease ( = 0.03). Compared to National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey participants, rates of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and cardiovascular risk factors were similar.

CONCLUSIONS

Women and birthing individuals whose children had CHD had similar rates of cardiovascular risk factors and disease at 18 to 23 years after delivery, compared to age- and sex-matched parous controls. Higher severity of child's CHD was associated with increased risk of maternal cardiovascular disease, an association that should be evaluated in future studies.