SOMANZ Poster Presentation Australasian Diabetes in Pregnancy Society and Society of Obstetric Medicine Australia and New Zealand Joint Scientific Meeting 2025

Navigating Pregnancy with Congenital Heart Disease: A mixed-methods exploration of the perinatal healthcare needs of women with CHD (#182)

Dyone A Bettega 1 2 , Anita Calderan 3 , Julie Meyer 3 , Prof Dharmintra Pasupathy 4 5 , Susan Heath 4 , Dr Jane Brown 6 , Dr David Tanous 7 , Dr Andrew Pesce 8 , Dr Claire Deakin 1 9
  1. School of Population Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  2. Office of the Chief Executive, Western Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  3. Health Service Planning and Development , Western Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  4. Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Western Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  5. Reproduction and Perinatal Care, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  6. Anaesthetics, Western Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  7. Cardiology, Western Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  8. Clinical Network Director Women's Health, Western Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  9. Research and Education Network, Western Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, NSW, Australia

BACKGROUND: Advances in medical and surgical treatment have improved survival for children with congenital heart disease (CHD), simultaneously shifting the burden of disease to an adult population. Subsequently, women with CHD are surviving longer and are generally able to bear children. However, the physiological adaptations associated with pregnancy place added strain on the heart, particularly for women with CHD.

 

AIMS: This one-year Masters project aims to (1)understand the current state of healthcare services delivered to pregnant women with CHD at a major metropolitan Hospital, (2)identify a future service model that meets the perinatal healthcare needs of these women, and (3)develop an educational piece for upskilling clinicians to care for this cohort.

 

METHODS: This project will be a parallel mixed-methods study with qualitative data collected through six focus group sessions and a survey questionnaire. We have collated 271 data items on 202 pregnant women with CHD from patient electronic records. A scoping literature review using a systematic search strategy is underway and at full text review.

 

RESULTS: Four focus groups have been conducted with all transcripts collected by August. Clinicians from departments including, Cardiology, Obstetrics, Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Gynaecology, Anaesthesia, Neonatal Care, as well as Health Managers are participating. 10,849 titles and abstracts were screened in the scoping review.  

 

DISCUSSION: WSLHD is assembling a service plan proposing Australia’s first precinct whole-of-life CHD model to deliver specialised care to adult patients. This research will inform how WSLHD delivers perinatal care to pregnant women with CHD as part of the adult service.