The health outcomes of children born to women with heart valve prostheses in New South Wales, Australia, 2000-2011, were examined in a record-linkage population-based study. Eighty-one women delivered 112 infants. One infant was stillborn, two died prior to discharge from hospital. Twenty seven (24.8%) were readmitted to hospital in their first year of life. The average number of readmissions up to age 6 years was 2.7 (95% CI 1.51-3.89) versus population rate of 2.04 (95% CI 2.03-2.05). The children demonstrated an increased risk of adverse event in the first year of life. Reassuringly however, and not previously reported, mortality and health outcomes in the first 6 years of life were not significantly different to the general population.
Keywords: Cardiovascular diseases; infants; perinatal mortality; pregnancy.