The REBECGA Registry: A Landmark in the Care of Pregnant Women with Heart Disease in Brazil

Pregnancy is a major life event for almost every woman. It has been estimated that 1-4% of pregnant women have some form of congenital or acquired cardiac disease, the main non-obstetric cause of maternal mortality worldwide.^– Although many women with heart disease tolerate the hemodynamic changes of pregnancy, others may face significant immediate or late risks of pregnancy, including volume overload, arrhythmias, progressive cardiac dysfunction, and death.^,

There is a growing prevalence of heart disease during pregnancy, driven by two main factors: advances in the treatment of congenital heart disease (CHD), which have allowed more children to survive into adulthood and consider pregnancy, and the trend of delayed childbearing.^,, As maternal age increases, so does the prevalence of comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia, contributing to a higher incidence of acquired heart disease complicating pregnancy.^,

[…]