Researchers at the University of Southern California found that although rare, heart attacks in expectant mothers are three times more likely to be fatal than in women who are not pregnant. Seven percent of pregnant patients die from those cardiac episodes.
While the most common cause of heart attacks is fat blocking the arteries, the common cause in pregnancy is tearing of the arteries.
Doctors say the normal treatment for heart attacks are blood thinners, which may cause more harm than good in pregnant patients, making it difficult to treat.