Enlarged Aorta

[navigatingmy20s]

Hi everyone,

I have just had my 20 week anomaly scan and the sonographer has made a referral for me to attend an appointment at St George's Hospital to have a re-scan done by a cardiologist as the sonographer has reported that my baby's aorta is slightly enlarged.

Has anyone else had any experience with this? What should I be preparing myself for? 🙁🙁

[Cantchoosename]

Hi, just wondering how you are doing? Have you been seen by the cardiologist yet? It was found that my baby had a heart problem during pregnancy so I know how scary it feels to be referred to fetal medicine from the 20 week scan. Hope you are okay.

[navigatingmy20s]

Hi @Cantchoosename thanks so much for the response and sorry to hear about your little one, I hope they are all ok despite diagnosis?

I had my appointment with fetal medicine yesterday and they found nothing wrong with the heart except that the aorta is on the wider side. So that's a relief but I'm still in limbo as they can't see any reason for the widening! I have a follow up scan at the beginning of November just to check everything again and as long as all is ok I will be discharged from fetal medicine and they will follow up with baby when she is 3 months old.

I'm also having a scan at my local hospital to thoroughly check every aspect of baby so can't relax just yet but everything else appeared healthy at my 20 week scan so I'm sure (hoping) all will be ok! Xx

[Cantchoosename]

Hi, I'm glad your scan went well, it must have been such a relief. Hopefully you will be discharged from fetal medicine after your next scan. My little one is doing really well thanks. Best wishes for the rest of your pregnancy x

[navigatingmy20s]

Glad to hear it @Cantchoosename 🤍🤍

[ChilliD]

Hi @navigatingmy20s

Thank you for sharing your story. Exactly the same over here - I could have written your posts word for word! Wondered how you were getting on and if you had any advice for getting some more info from the docs on what to expect?

Really hope your follow up apt went as well as could be. Xx

[navigatingmy20s]

Hi @ChilliD - My follow up appointment at St George's went well - they confirmed that the aorta appears slightly enlarged than average but is in keeping with the Z score. The way they described it to me is that some people are shorter than average, and some are taller than average - and my baby's aorta is just bigger than average 🤷🏻‍♀️

They reported that everything else with the heart looks and works as it should!

I then had another follow up scan at my local hospital and they reported baby looks perfectly healthy. I then had a final pre natal follow up with St. George's on the 7th November and they confirmed again all is well.

So far the diagnosis is "normal - mildly ascending aorta" no structural defects found 😅

They will scan baby at 3-6 months but all should be ok!

Please don't worry - The first appointment at St George's was scary they speak in jargon while scanning and then we were invited into a side room to "discuss diagnosis" which sounded terrifying!!! But it was nothing!

Sorry if I don't make sense I'm no good at explaining stuff! 😅😬

When is your appointment? Xx

[ChilliD]

Hi @navigatingmy20s - what a relief that must have been - very glad to hear!

Thank you so much for the response - very well explained!! We also had the side room discussion on diagnosis and were told the enlargement looked mild, but too difficult to call either way at this point. So our follow up appointment is not until start of Jan, which feels like an age to wait... It's great to know the enlargement could end up being 'natural variation'!

All the best for the rest of your pregnancy and for your little one🙂

[navigatingmy20s]

No problem @ChilliD - thank you so much I hope all goes well at your follow up, I'm sure it will! Glad I have been able to ease your mind a little bit! 😊

I will be having my little one on the 19th Jan so will check back in then and see how your appointment went! Take care and anymore questions please feel free to message me 😊 xx

[Ribizli]

Hey, I’ve sent you a PM and also replied to your post on another thread.
I’m in similar situation. Just had 20 week scan today. The sonographer really struggled to get pictures of baby’s heart as baby was moving too much, she even got someone else to try and get a better picture than her. At the end she said the aorta is enlarged and it’s not what she expected to see, so referred us to a specialist. We’ll have a fetal echo on Thursday, and I’m getting very worried. They did say she put a question mark and also wrote in the notes that view is restricted by fetal movements, so I have good chances that everything is normal but they just need to check because they’re unsure. I can’t help it, but I’m still worried.
Everything else was completely normal at the scan.

[navigatingmy20s]

Hi @Ribizli

I don't know how to access my PM's - I'm using the mumsnet app, am I being completely stupid?! 😬😂🤦🏻‍♀️

I was so worried also as the sonographer said at my routine scan that the aorta is more enlarged than "normal"!

Referral to the fetal medicine unit found nothing wrong with the heart, just the aorta is slightly more prominent than "normal" - I was given a follow up appointment about 4 weeks later when baby had grown a bit more and while the aorta still appeared more prominent it had not grown since the last appt which was good news!

It was explained to me that it is more than likely just a variation of normal! Have since been discharged from the fetal cardiac unit but they will follow up with baby when she is 3-6 months old. Baby will also have an additional check at the hospital before being discharged after birth.

I know it's easier said than done, but please try not to panic! I was hysterical leading up to the appointment but 9 times out of 10 everything is completely fine they are just so cautious! Xx

[Ribizli]

Hiya,

Sorry for the late reply!

We had the scan with the specialist last Thursday. Baby was in a ‘textbook position’ , the visibility was perfect. The doctor couldn’t find anything wrong, everything looks completely normal. We are so so sooo relieved! ☺️

To be honest I wasn’t hysterical about it, I had a feeling it’s just the case that a good view of baby’s t heart was not achievable first time. It was still on my mind filling me with all sorts of possibilities and worries.

I hope you have a good pregnancy and everything is okay with you and baby! ☺️ xx

[navigatingmy20s]

So pleased for you @Ribizli - hope you have a lovely Christmas ❤️ xx

[Sendy21]

Hi navigatingmy20s. I hope you and your Lo is doing great and this message find you good.

you must be enjoying the motherhood, just wanted to know if you have any updates. Hopes all the follow up after delivery went well.

[navigatingmy20s]

@Sendy21

Hi navigatingmy20s. I hope you and your Lo is doing great and this message find you good.

you must be enjoying the motherhood, just wanted to know if you have any updates. Hopes all the follow up after delivery went well.

Hi sendy21!

Thank you for the message ☺️ Little one is doing great she is now 6 months old 💕

We had an appointment at Royal Brompton when she was 3 months old where they thoroughly checked over her heart.

It was found that the aorta is still slightly larger than normal but is still well within the "normal" scale if that makes sense.

They also found she does have a small hole in her heart that should have closed up shortly after birth. We have a follow up appointment in November to re check it and they are hoping it might have closed up on its own.

If it hasn't closed but hasn't gotten bigger then it's my understanding they will continue to monitor her every so often.

If it has gotten bigger, then they will do a simple non invasive surgery to manually close it.

She is otherwise a very happy healthy chunky baby ☺️💕

[Sendy21]

Hi Navingatingmy20s, So glad to hear that you Little one is going great.
Thanks for your response. Does your doc concern about the enlarged aorta? I understand it will not shrink on its own. Can it progress with time or any thing else.

Lots of blessings and love to little Princess ❤️

[Sendy21]

@navigatingmy20s

Hi sendy21!

Thank you for the message ☺️ Little one is doing great she is now 6 months old 💕

We had an appointment at Royal Brompton when she was 3 months old where they thoroughly checked over her heart.

It was found that the aorta is still slightly larger than normal but is still well within the "normal" scale if that makes sense.

They also found she does have a small hole in her heart that should have closed up shortly after birth. We have a follow up appointment in November to re check it and they are hoping it might have closed up on its own.

If it hasn't closed but hasn't gotten bigger then it's my understanding they will continue to monitor her every so often.

If it has gotten bigger, then they will do a simple non invasive surgery to manually close it.

She is otherwise a very happy healthy chunky baby ☺️💕

Hi Navingatingmy20s, Thanks for your response. So glad to hear that you Little one is going great. 
Does your doc concern about the enlarged aorta? I understand it will not shrink on its own. Can it progress with time or any thing else. Is there any other symptoms or issue.
i have my next appointment in few days. Just trying to understand it so that I can ask abd understand the cardiologist more.
Do you have any advice for me, anything specific I should I ask to doc.

Lots of blessings and love to little Princess 
Thank you for your time. Really appreciate

[navigatingmy20s]

Hi @Sendy21

No problem! It was very scary having the appointment with the fetal cardiologist and I did feel uneasy for the rest of my pregnancy but they basically said the aorta is "prominent" but it could just be a variation of normal as they found no other "issues" with her heart when she was in utero.

I had two additional scans in my pregnancy to make sure the aorta had not gotten any larger and it hadn't :)

When I attended the postnatal cardiac appointment, this was again to make sure the aorta was not any more enlarged which again, it wasn't ☺️ They did the EKG and echo and this was when the small hole was picked up.

The small hole has nothing to do with the fact that her aorta is on the larger side and would have not even been picked up if it wasn't for the aorta. They didn't seem worried about the aorta at all, the concern now is with the hole but even that was not concerning to them. She said a 1/3 of all babies have a hole that does not close properly after birth.

I worried so much during pregnancy but after her postnatal appointment I felt so much better so please try not too worry as I am sure you will be absolutely fine, and it is most likely just a variation of normal.

How many scans have you had so far, is it just the original 20 week anomaly scan?

I would just ask at your follow up appointment if the aorta is the same size as it was when it was originally picked up - but they will explain all of this to you in detail straight after your appointment with the cardiologist and come up with a "plan" which will most likely be the same as me - Maybe a couple additional scans throughout pregnancy and then a postnatal scan at 3 months ☺️

My little one is perfectly healthy and has no symptoms or problems and I'm sure it will be the same for you 🩷

[Sendy21]

@navigatingmy20s

Hi @Sendy21

No problem! It was very scary having the appointment with the fetal cardiologist and I did feel uneasy for the rest of my pregnancy but they basically said the aorta is "prominent" but it could just be a variation of normal as they found no other "issues" with her heart when she was in utero.

I had two additional scans in my pregnancy to make sure the aorta had not gotten any larger and it hadn't :)

When I attended the postnatal cardiac appointment, this was again to make sure the aorta was not any more enlarged which again, it wasn't ☺️ They did the EKG and echo and this was when the small hole was picked up.

The small hole has nothing to do with the fact that her aorta is on the larger side and would have not even been picked up if it wasn't for the aorta. They didn't seem worried about the aorta at all, the concern now is with the hole but even that was not concerning to them. She said a 1/3 of all babies have a hole that does not close properly after birth.

I worried so much during pregnancy but after her postnatal appointment I felt so much better so please try not too worry as I am sure you will be absolutely fine, and it is most likely just a variation of normal.

How many scans have you had so far, is it just the original 20 week anomaly scan?

I would just ask at your follow up appointment if the aorta is the same size as it was when it was originally picked up - but they will explain all of this to you in detail straight after your appointment with the cardiologist and come up with a "plan" which will most likely be the same as me - Maybe a couple additional scans throughout pregnancy and then a postnatal scan at 3 months ☺️

My little one is perfectly healthy and has no symptoms or problems and I'm sure it will be the same for you 🩷

Hi @navigatingmy20s Thanks for the detailed, It really put me on ease. Ya trying not be worried but sometimes find it hard not to think. I had cardiologist appointments and the thing which make me really frustrated that they didn’t mentioned about it at all just put that in their report. Now I am not seeing the cardiologist for sometime. Its will be MFM, who will do further scans for heartbeat as my baby has irregular heartbeat for sometime. I will surely ask about the size as they never mentioned about the exact size just said mild enlarged.

Hoping it’s nothing to worry.

Have a great weekend ❤️

[navigatingmy20s]

@Sendy21

I'm sure it will be fine ☺️ my little one had irregular heartbeat a couple times when they listened with the doppler but nothing ever came of it, midwife said it happens sometimes as long as it doesn't happen for longer than 30 secs at a time then perfectly ok.

They didn't tell me exact size either just said mildly also, I did get the exact measurements in a report but made no difference to me as I have no clue what the "normal" measurement should of been lol

Please let me know how you get on Im sure all will be fine, good luck with labour and have a lovely weekend too 🩷

[Sendy21]

Hi @navigatingmy20s So far I have been scanned for irregular heartbeat which is coming normal since couple of weeks. For arrota my MFM is not saying anything except we will get a clear idea once baby is born. Today appointment when I asked they told me that they will measure it in third trimester only. My next appointment is 3weeks from now. Will update how things go.

Have awesome day. Love to the little Princess 👸

[Sendy21]

Just an update: I got the growth scan today and MFM remeasured the arrota. Its still in mild bigger side. I asked if baby need to have postnatal echo just after birth but MFM said We can do neonatal echo with cardiologist after few months. No need to have immediate echo after birth. Although I am not comfortable with her advice as I wanted to have a echo done before we leave the hospital. Will keep posted

[Sendy21]

Hi @navigatingmy20s . Hope this message finds you good. Sorry to bother you but just wanted to check how you doing and how your follow up appointments going.

[navigatingmy20s]

@Sendy21

Just an update: I got the growth scan today and MFM remeasured the arrota. Its still in mild bigger side. I asked if baby need to have postnatal echo just after birth but MFM said We can do neonatal echo with cardiologist after few months. No need to have immediate echo after birth. Although I am not comfortable with her advice as I wanted to have a echo done before we leave the hospital. Will keep posted

Hi @Sendy21

So sorry, I had thought i'd replied to this!

My daughter didn't have a scan before being discharged from the hospital either, we were just booked in for one when she was around 3 months and i'm assuming this is because they weren't overly worried! 😊

Haven't had a follow up since then, it is booked for 10th November. I am hoping her small hole has closed up and the aorta hasn't gotten more enlarged 🤞🏼

How are you getting on? xxx

[Sendy21]

@navigatingmy20s thanks for responding. Glad to hear that all good at your end. Wish you all good health.

I think, I am overly worried 😂
just can’t put my mother’s mind on ease. Will try to be relax.

once again thanks for being so patience and detailed explanation. Its really help me during this time.

[navigatingmy20s]

@Sendy21

@navigatingmy20s thanks for responding. Glad to hear that all good at your end. Wish you all good health.

I think, I am overly worried 😂
just can’t put my mother’s mind on ease. Will try to be relax.

once again thanks for being so patience and detailed explanation. Its really help me during this time.

I was the exact same in the beginning @Sendy21 and even though when my daughter had her first official scan earth side they found two extra things I was massively relieved still as the cardiologist was so so lovely and explained everything in great detail!!

How long until you are due now? I am sure all will be fine 💕