Background For pregnant women with a known cardiac condition or those who develop cardiac disease during pregnancy, there is an increased risk of complications during pregnancy, to both mother and foetus. To reduce this risk, best practice guidelines have been developed and available in South Australia for several years. Measuring clinical practice against the guideline recommendations verifies real-life practice and an essential part of any clinical practice quality improvement project by identifying gaps. This study is the first report on adherence to statewide perinatal guidelines for these women in South Australia.
Aim
This paper provides an overview of the two broad categories of cardiac conditions observed in pregnancy (congenital and acquired). It also identifies the midwives' role in the childbirth continuum and includes assessment, track and trigger systems and management during labour and delivery.
Design
Discussion paper.
Methods
Data were collected by reviewing international evidence and by searching computerized databases.
Results
Research has identified that women with associated risk factors of a cardiac condition who delay pregnancy have an increased risk of experiencing cardiovascular complications in pregnancy with poorer outcomes. The Three Ps in a Pod clinical initiative in the United Kingdom highlights working as a team in multidisciplinary programmes to improve mothers' care and save lives. Midwives play a key role during pregnancy and need to be appraised in relation to cardiovascular disease observed in pregnancy, its potential risks and anticipated problems and within the continuum of care.
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