Congenital heart diseaseCross-sectional study
Reproductive health outcomes of congenital heart disease survivors: A report from the congenital heart disease project to understand lifelong survivor experience (congenital heart disease (CHD) PULSE study)
- cross-sectional survey
Authors' conclusion
Reproductive counseling is infrequent among women with CHD, especially among younger, unmarried, low-income individuals with less severe CHD and fewer comorbidities. Significant gender disparities in reproductive outcomes emphasize the need for tailored, gender-specific reproductive health counseling for CHD survivors.
Study context
- Population
- Adults (≥18 years) with at least 1 CHD intervention at 1 of 11 U.S. Pediatric Cardiac Care Consortium centersfemales 1,704 · males 1,369
- Participants
- 3,073 respondents
- Exposure
- Women vs Men
- Womenn = 1,704
- Menn = 1,369
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
No reproductive counseling received (female participants)
Women
48%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Having biological children
- Having biological children: P < .0001
Factors associated with receiving counseling
- older age, later age at last surgery, marital history, severe CHD, higher income, government insurance, and more comorbidities
- P < 0.001
Original publication
Reproductive health outcomes of congenital heart disease survivors: A report from the congenital heart disease project to understand lifelong survivor experience (CHD PULSE study). Am Heart J. Published 6 January 2026. doi:10.1016/j.ahj.2025.107338
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it