Mitral valve prolapse and pregnancy.

Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is the most common congenital heart lesion, and the diagnosis is frequently made in young women of childbearing age. The management of this disorder during pregnancy has not been well studied. Our investigation reviews the outcomes of 42 pregnancies among 25 patients with MVP diagnosed before conception by the characteristic auscultatory and echocardiographic findings. All patients with no other cardiovascular disorder tolerated pregnancy well and developed no remarkable cardiac complications. Furthermore, the incidence of antepartum and intrapartum complications or signs of fetal distress was not greater when compared with pregnant patients with no known cardiac disorder (p greater than 0.05). Congestive heart failure occurred in one case in which premature labor with coexisting toxemia was treated with the combined intravenous administration of a beta adrenergic tocolytic drug, a glucocorticoid drug, and a large volume of fluids.