title: Pregnancy-related health behavior of women with congenital heart disease: room for behavioral change interventions.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pregnancy in women with congenital heart disease is associated with maternal and neonatal complications. In order to reduce risks for unfavorable outcomes, pregnant women need to adopt specific health behaviors. We investigated the pregnancy-related health behavior of women with congenital heart disease during their pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  As part of a large study on pregnancy in congenital heart disease in the Netherlands and Belgium, we designed a descriptive, retrospective study that included 137 women. Patients born between January 1, 1958 and December 31, 1983, who had been pregnant for at least 20 weeks, and who were in active cardiac follow-up were eligible for inclusion. Patients with isolated patent foramen ovale, rheumatic heart disease, and mental retardation were excluded. Participants were interviewed by telephone using a questionnaire to retrospectively assess their health behavior during pregnancy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most of our participants did not drink alcohol (91.1-95.6%) and did not smoke (91.2-93.8%) during their pregnancy. Forty to fifty percent adopted physical restrictions. All were followed by an obstetrician, but only 38.2-56.9% regularly visited a cardiologist during pregnancy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Health behavior in pregnant women with congenital heart disease is generally good. However, it was worrisome that only a relatively few patients received follow-up from a cardiologist.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Health Services and Nursing Research, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. Philip.Moons@med.kuleuven.be
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Moons
authors.forename: Werner
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Budts
authors.forename: Els
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Costermans
authors.forename: Els
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Huyghe
authors.forename: Petronella G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Pieper
authors.forename: Wim
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Drenthen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001530:Belgium; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D011181:Postnatal Care; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D011295:Prenatal Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires