worries about daughter having bicuspid valve

[heartmom]

hello
i have a 8 month old daughter that was born with a bicuspid aortic valve and a coarctation of the aorta. she had a successful repair on the coarctation but they left the bicuspid alone. i am constantly worried every time she gets a fever or a sickness that she is going to get this heart infection endocroditis. i would love to talk to someone who lives with a bicuspid to see how i stop stressing out and what i really need to stress out about. cant wait to hear from someone.
trisha

[cindy46]

Just read your posting.  I will be 47 in April and I was born with COA and bicuspid arotic valve.  I had the COA repaired when I was 9 and finally had to have the valve replaced last September at the age of 46.  I have had NO problems from that valve my whole life.  I have had 2 children with no problems from either childbirth.  Your daughter should be fine, just keep going for check ups when they tell you to.  Take antibiotics before any surgery or dental appointments.  She really can live a normal life.  The COA that you said was repaired would have been a major problem later in life.  I was told that if I didn't have it fixed that I would have been in a wheel chair by the time I was a teenager.  Never really has caused me any problems since the surgery to repair it.  My surgeon checked the repair out prior to my valve replacement to make sure that the repair was still good.  Everything was still looking great after almost 40 years.  As hard as it is to do, just relax and enjoy your daughter!

[KarineBecker]

Hi,
I'm just replying to your comment, even though it's been awhile.
I'm 21 and it wasn't until I was 13 before they found out I had a Coarctation of my Aorta, and I have a bicuspid valve they don't seem to worry too much about.  Thankfully, the surgery and my recovery was remarkably fast and I just had the COA repaired, and I wouldn't worry too much about endocarditis, I just make sure to take the antibiotics before I go to the dentist and if I've had any surgery in my mouth.  I've had no complications my whole life so far from the defects I was born with, and I live normally with no medications or no restrictions.  Hope I could help you not worry so much!  Feel free to contact me if you have any other questions.

[Momto3]

You might want to check out www.valvereplacement.com.  There are people on that board who have children with heart valve anomalies.  Congrats on the new baby : )