Resources for Obstetrician-Gynecologists

At a glance

People who were born with heart defects need lifelong congenital cardiac care—but many of them aren’t getting it. As an obstetrician-gynecologist, you see patients at many life stages, and you may be the only physician some of your patients see. That means you play an important role in connecting people with heart defects to the care they need to stay healthy.

OB-GYN talking with pregnant patient

Overview

Take these steps to connect people with heart defects to a congenital cardiologist:

  1. Ask patients if they have a history of heart problems; you might have patients with heart defects who've never mentioned they have one.
  2. Ask patients with heart defects if they're seeing a congenital cardiologist. If they're not, explain why lifelong congenital cardiac care is important.
  3. Refer patients who aren't getting the care they need to a congenital cardiologist. If you need help finding congenital cardiologists in your area, check out the ACHD Clinic Directory.

Be sure to tell patients who are pregnant or plan to get pregnant that seeing a congenital cardiologist isn’t just important for their own health — it protects their baby, too.

Resources

OB-TPs

How to Talk to People with Congenital Heart Defects about Lifelong Cardiac Care

These talking points can help OB-GYNs talk to patients with heart defects about lifelong congenital...
The background shows a person talking with a doctor and the foreground includes this text "Congenital cardiologists can help people with heart defects stay healthy. Connect patients with heart problems to the care they need."

OB-GYN Social Media Graphics

Social media graphics and messaging about lifelong congenital cardiac care for OB-GYNs
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Content Source:
National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD)