SERDANG: Heart diseases during pregnancy contributed to 20.7% of maternal deaths between 2012 and 2014, says Dr Zaliha Mustafa (pic).
The Health Minister said that in 2022 alone, 669 pregnant patients sought treatment at Serdang Hospital for diseases affecting the heart, a 90% increase compared to 2008.
"The prevalence of obesity among Malaysians has risen to 30.4% in 2019, which is a contributing factor to heart diseases among pregnant women.
"The quality of life would be affected when there is heart disease during pregnancy,” Dr Zaliha told the media after officiating the Serdang Heart Disease in Pregnancy Symposium 2.0 (SHe-DIPS) at the Serdang Hospital here on Saturday (March 4).
She said such a symposium would further the understanding of the need for better care for pregnant women as "every mother has the right to a healthy baby as well as every baby has a right to a healthy mother."
There should be more care and better diagnosis for heart disease among pregnant women before they give birth.
"Many a time, pregnant women tend to disregard the symptoms which might be prognosis of heart diseases," Dr Zaliha added.
Also present at the event were Serdang Hospital director Dr Amin Sah Ahmad and experts on maternal care and heart diseases.
