| Summary: | The retrospective review of 30 consecutive cases of heart failure in pregnancy at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Enugu, over a ten year period 1987 - 1996 was done. The study determined its aetiological pattern, maternal and fetal outcome. Data were based on ward, labour ward records and case note reviews.
Cardiac decompensation was confirmed to have occurred in 1:544 live births. Twenty four (80.0%) of the patients were unbooked and most were illiterate housewives. Heart failure occurred due to systemic disease in 56.7% of patients with 36.7% being due to severe anaemia. The heart lesions seen in the rest of the patients were dilated cardiomyopathy (13.3%), hypertensive heart disease (10.0%), mitral stenosis (10.0%) and ventricular septal defect (3.3%).
Maternal mortality occurred in 23.3 % of cases and there was a 50.0% perinatal mortality. Unlike perinatal mortality, 71.4% of the maternal deaths were of preventable aetiology.
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