What Causes Aortic Stenosis?
In children, aortic stenosis happens when part of a baby's heart doesn't develop
the way it should during pregnancy. Doctors don't know why this happens, but it isn't
caused by anything a mother did or didn't do during her pregnancy, so could not have
been prevented.
Who Gets Aortic Stenosis?
Aortic stenosis usually affects older adults, but some babies are born with it.
The defect is more common in boys.
How Is Aortic Stenosis Diagnosed?
Doctors often can identify aortic stenosis before birth. This lets babies born
with severe problems be treated right away.
A fetal echocardiogram (also called a fetal echo) is a type of
test that can help diagnose heart defects. A fetal echo uses a detailed heart ultrasound
study to see how the baby's heart looks and works while still in the mother's womb.
If the problem wasn't found before birth, infants and older kids who have a suspected
heart problem get an echocardiogram. Less commonly, a heart
catheterization may be done if the diagnosis isn't clear. In a catheterization,
a doctor inserts a catheter (a thin, flexible plastic tube) into an artery and vein
that lead to the heart.
How Is Aortic Stenosis Treated?
Mild cases of aortic stenosis may not need treatment. Medicines sometimes can treat
symptoms, but in severe cases the valve will need to be fixed or replaced.
Several types of procedures can repair or replace the aortic valve. Young children
with a severe problem may undergo a balloon valvuloplasty during
heart catheterization. With this procedure, a doctor threads an unopened balloon through
the aortic valve and inflates it to open the valve.
Valve replacement involves using an artificial valve or a valve
from a donor to replace the child's abnormal valve.
To decide what type of treatment to use, doctors consider:
- the location and amount of the narrowing
- the child's age and size
- how well the other valves in the heart are working
- whether the child has had previous heart surgery
- whether the child has other medical conditions
Looking Ahead
The biggest challenge for kids with aortic stenosis is that it can come back after
treatment. This can happen for different reasons, including scar tissue that forms
after a procedure or a valve replacement that doesn't grow as kids get bigger. So
some kids might need several operations.
Because aortic stenosis can be a lifelong condition, kids who have the defect will
need regular checkups with a cardiologist (a doctor who specializes
in treating heart problems) to make sure that the narrowing isn't getting worse.
Many children won't need specific medical treatment, and those who do usually can
enjoy most regular activities after their recovery. Kids and teens with moderate or
severe aortic stenosis should talk with their cardiologist before playing competitive
sports or being very physically active.