Experiences of a dedicated Heart and Maternal Health Service providing multidisciplinary care to pregnant women with cardiac disease in a tertiary centre in Namibia

Peripartum cardiomyopathy in low- and middle-income countries

Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) causes pregnancy-associated heart failure, typically during the last month of pregnancy, and up to 6 months post-partum, in women without known cardiovascular disease. PPCM is a global disease, but with a significant geographical variability within and between countries. Its true incidence in Africa is still unknown because of the lack of a PPCM population-based study. The variability in the epidemiology of PPCM between and within countries could be due to differences in the prevalence of both genetic and non-genetic risk factors. Several risk factors have been implicated in the aetiopathogenesis of PPCM over the years. Majority of patients with PPCM present with symptoms and signs of congestive cardiac failure. Diagnostic work up in PPCM is prompted by strong clinical suspicion, but Echocardiography is the main imaging technique for diagnosis. The management of PPCM involves multiple disciplines - cardiologists, anaesthetists, intensivists, obstetricians, neonatologists, and the prognosis varies widely.