The personal and clinical impact of screen-detected maternal rheumatic heart disease in Uganda: a prospective follow up study

Screening echocardiography can identify women with pre-existing rheumatic heart disease during pregnancy, but long-term follow-up in Uganda reveals adherence to medical care following diagnosis, including BPG, is poor. Additionally, mothers diagnosed with RHD may experience unintended consequences such as social stigmatization. As identification of occult RHD is critical to prevent adverse pregnancy outcomes, further research is needed to determine how to best support women who face a new diagnosis of RHD, and to determine the role of screening echocardiography in high-risk settings.