leos heart problem

my son hasnt had a echo in 6-8 months now cause insurance cancelled. well i want to know if there  can be alot of changes the last time dr mentioned that the leakage was from moderate to severe now you think its worse he has been getting sick with fevers and ear aches

[Jeffrey R Boris, M.D.]

Dear Connie,

You give me essentially no information to attempt to help you.  Since I do not know which valve is leaking, how long it has been leaking, or if there is any damage to the heart from the prior leak, I cannot tell you if it is getting worse.  Fevers and ear pain may cause things to get worse, only because the heart has to work harder during an infection.  Also, a fever could potentially mean that there is an infection specifically at the valve; this is called endocarditis, and these tend to be life-threatening.  However, in the absence of these infectious symptoms, prolonged moderate to severe valve leakage by itself can make itself worse and progress.  Therefore, I would recommend that you work with a social worker and figure out how to obtain medical care coverage for your child.