[Cardiopathies, pregnancy and labor in our hospital practice. Clinical cases from 1969 to 1987].
The behaviour of cardiopathies and the prognosis for labour was studied in 44 pregnant women with heart disease admitted to Muscatello Hospital Augusta in 1969-87. Improved cardiological and obstetric treatment together with the interdisciplinary approach adopted since 1971 eliminated maternal deaths and drastically reduced complications in pregnancies. Caesarian section was adopted in all but class I cases and was well tolerated. Puerperium passed without incident and the patients were up by the second or third day, released on day 8. There was also a distinct improvement in foetal prognosis with fewer small for date births and only one death due to foetal immaturity.