Data collection completed analysis underway

Aims:
  • To provide an evidence base with a view to improving clinical care and outcomes for women with rheumatic heart disease (RHD) in pregnancy and their babies.
Objectives:
  • To investigate the largest population based group of pregnant women with RHD ever systematically studied globally and outline patterns of health risk, diagnosis, course, management and pregnancy outcomes
  • To enable benchmarking to identify key attributes of successful, culturally safe models of health care for women with RHD in pregnancy, based on working with those who experience RHD and its impact
  • To inform approaches to RHD in pregnancy in Australia and internationally with other RHD stakeholders in the Pacific region, and have direct benefit to over 1500 disproportionately Indigenous women with RHD likely to give birth in Australia and New Zealand over the next ten years.
Method:

The mixed methods research includes a quantitative study with nearly 300 maternity units across ANZ and a qualitative study exploring women’s journey with RHD. It aims to provide an evidence base with a view to improving clinical care and outcomes for women with RHD in pregnancy and their babies. It is the first bi-national study of pregnant women with RHD and will outline patterns of health risk, diagnosis, course, management and pregnancy outcomes.

The study will enable benchmarking to identify key attributes of successful, culturally safe models of health care for women with RHD in pregnancy, based on working with those who experience RHD and its impact. It will inform approaches to RHD in pregnancy in ANZ and internationally with other RHD stakeholders in the Pacific region, and have direct benefit to over 1500 disproportionately Indigenous women with RHD likely to give birth in ANZ over the next ten years.

Summary:

Increased cardiac demands of pregnancy (including 40-50% increased blood volume) often unmask undiagnosed RHD. The impact of pregnancy can be particularly severe and sometimes catastrophic for women who have mechanical heart valves. The choice of anticoagulation medication for these women provides clinical dilemmas as all anticoagulant options carry maternal and/or fetal risks.

Quantitative study: surveillance period January 2013 - December 2014. Data analysis in progress

Qualitative study: data analysis in progress

Chief investigator:
  • Professor Elizabeth Sullivan
Project manager:
Contact information: