siblings and PPCM

[kirstinherbs]

My sister is planning to become pregnant.

I have advised her to have an echo prior to becoming pregnant do you think she should have them sporadically throughout her pregancy and post partum aswell?

Thanks
Kirstin

[JAMESFETT]

A pre-pregnancy echo for a sister or daughter of PPCM patient is a good idea. If the echo is normal then careful watching during the pregnancy should be sufficient, and if any suspicious symptoms, evaluation for possible repeat echo. Doing a plasma high sensitivity CRP and BNP during the last trimester makes sense to me, but is not yet accepted protocol. A focused echo on the ventricular function is easy to do, but most people are still locked in to expensive full and formal echos on repeat, even though that is not necessary. When in doubt, do a quick-look echo of ventricular function, that's the safest and surest. Best wishes to you and to her.

JD