Pregnancy related cardiomyopathy

What is pregnancy-related cardiomyopathy?

Pregnancy-related cardiomyopathy (peripartum cardiomyopathy) is a condition of unknown cause in which early signs of heart failure and symptoms of heart failure occur between the last month of pregnancy and the first five months after birth. However, there are reports of similar disease pictures earlier in pregnancy, cases may be due to this condition.

Cardiomyopathy means that the disease attacks the muscles of the heart. Peripartum means surrounding the birth. The diagnosis of peripartum cardiomyopathy is made by excluding other causes of cardiomyopathy.

A heart that fails in this condition will cause the heart expands - dilated - is greater. It increases the risk of blood clots can form in the heart. Such blood clots can break loose, float in the blood and clog blood vessels elsewhere in the body.

Peripartum cardiomyopathy is a relatively rare disease. There are no reliable prevalence data, and the numbers that exist, differ widely. In the U.S., it is suggested that there are approx. 1 case per 4000 births.