Anyone out there pregnant with Mitral Valve Prolapse??

6 replies

muppetisacat · 07/10/2006 09:40

Am currently 18 weeks pregnant with 3rd child. When delivering first 2 kids was given intravenous antibiotics as standard precaution due to me having MVP. All fine. No problems.

Yesterday, I saw my midwife who told me I would need to see their cardiologist at hospital for a check up AND go up to Guy's hospital for an extra scan to check the baby's heart to see if it had inherited the condition!!!

Never had to have any of this with my first 2 pregnancies and wonder if they are over reacting slightly??? Even if the baby does have it I was always led to believe it was a pretty benign heart condition...

Would love to hear from anybody else with this condition and learn about their pregnancy experiences.... do you think I am being too blase?

OP posts:

misdee · 07/10/2006 09:46

i had to go to Guys with my 3rd pregnancy due to my husband having suspected viral dilated cardiomyopathy. the scan isnt that bad, but you do lie there for ages. (i say suspected, as they initially thought it was caused by a virus, but we now have indicators he could've have it for longer)

if it was me, then i would go for the scan.

clairegp · 07/10/2006 09:50

I have a heart murmur that has never affected me or my lifestyle, but they have made a fuss during pregnancy. This is my first, but it's been ok. The cardiologist was lovely, I had the scan, and had the extra scan on the babies heart. They said that everything was normal. I didn't get freaked out by it as I just thought, i'm fine, so baby will be. Only OB who's getting panicky about delivery options available to me now. I wouldn't panic, but also, wouldn't worry that you're being blase.

eidsvold · 08/10/2006 03:38

my dh has a mitral valve prolapse - discovered when he was in his 40's. According to my dd1's cardiologist the risk of our other 2 children having a heart condition due to the two things that dh has are 1 in 50.

As we did not know when pregnant with no2 - no cardiac scan was offered HOWEVER my GP wanted me to have a fetal cardiac scan with dd2 as my dd1 has an AVSD - due to the fact she has down syndrome. I refused on the grounds that dd1 had a heart defect because she had down syndrome - not because of dh and that has again been confirmed by dd1's cardiologist.

Dd1 had a cardiac appt when I was newly pregnant with no3 ( am now 15 weeks) and he did not suggest that I have a fetal cardiac scan despite the risk. He said he would scan dd2 perhaps next year when she was aged between 2 and 3 and the same for the third child.

I did have fetal cardiac scan with dd1 - knew she had AVSD before she was born - very helpful to know before hand - as she went straight to ICU etc and had surgery early.

If I am offered a scan when seeing the consultant for this pregnancy - I will probably take it. SO helpful knowing beforehand as I did with dd1.

Sorry for the long post. But I guess it is your choice. WOuld they have a protocol to check when the child is older anyway?!?

The antibiotics would be a separate issue - I assume like dd1 and dh you need them before any surgical or dental treatment as a precaution.

Highlander · 08/10/2006 12:58

depends on the degree of prolapse. Mine is very minor and I only had to have 1 echo in the 2nd trimester. No other fuss made, thankfully. Didn't need ABs for the CS.

Original poster

muppetisacat · 08/10/2006 15:10

Thanks for that eidsvold... I do take antibiotics whenever having dental work etc so did assume they would be used during labour.

I guess I am shocked because my own cardiologist has always played things down so much... I believe the degree of prolapse is pretty negligable and it was only diagnosed because I became symptomatic when pregnant with dd 9 years ago.

Now I am worrying that I should get my dd and ds checked out too... how can i have my unborn baby diagnosed and not them??? I have never been offered any kind of testing for either of my existing kids so far (they are 9 and 7).

Thanks for all advice so far xx

OP posts:

eidsvold · 08/10/2006 21:34

muppet - dh's cardiologist did not suggest checking the dds until about that age - around 9 years old I think he said.

dd's cardiologist just offered to do dd2 at dd1's appt to save me the hassle of referral waiting and two appts.

Dh also has a bicuspid aorta so he has two heart defects - his was pickd up last year when he was in his 40's.

Flip