Overview

Coarctation of the aorta is a congenital (present at birth) heart defect. It’s also called aortic coarctation (pronounced “ay-or-tuhk” “koh-ark-TEY-shun”). This defect affects your baby’s aorta, which is the largest artery in their body. It carries oxygen-rich blood from your baby’s heart to the rest of their body.

If your baby has aortic coarctation, one part of their aorta is narrower than it should be. Picture a long balloon that’s used to make balloon animals for kids. You twist the balloon at one point to begin forming a shape. This causes the balloon to be pinched inward at that point. The pinch in the middle of the balloon is similar to what an aortic coarctation looks like.

That pinched point might be very narrow and cause severe symptoms soon after birth. Or it might be narrower than normal but wide enough to let blood pass through. In that case, symptoms might not appear until later in childhood or adolescence. Symptoms such as hypertension (high blood pressure) may lead to detection of aortic coarctation.

Babies who have coarctation of the aorta may also have other heart problems, including:

  • Aortic valve stenosis.
  • Aortic arch hypoplasia (narrowing).
  • Atrial septal defect (ASD).
  • Bicuspid aortic valve.
  • Hypoplastic left heart syndrome.
  • Mitral valve stenosis.
  • Ventricular septal defect (VSD).

Aortic coarctation needs treatment to prevent serious complications. Once a diagnosis of aortic coarctation is made, either surgical repair or balloon angioplasty should be performed.

How common is coarctation of the aorta?

About 4 in 10,000 babies in the U.S. have coarctation of the aorta. Each year, about 2,200 babies are born with the condition.

Of all babies born with some form of congenital heart disease, about 7 in 100 have aortic coarctation.

How does coarctation of the aorta affect my baby’s body?

Coarctation of the aorta prevents blood from flowing normally throughout your baby’s body. The narrowing causes the main pumping chamber of your baby’s heart (left ventricle) to pump harder than normal. This puts a lot of stress and strain on their left ventricle. In cases where the narrowing is severe, not enough blood will get to their body and their brain, which can cause shock and even death. In milder cases, this extra strain can cause your baby’s heart muscle to get thicker (hypertrophy).

Coarctation also causes higher blood pressure in your baby’s upper body, and lower blood pressure in their lower body. Your baby may have reduced blood flow to their kidneys, liver and other organs in their belly.

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Symptoms

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Complications

Blood clots are a dangerous complication of atrial fibrillation (AFib). Blood clots can lead to stroke.
The risk of stroke from AFib increases as you grow older. Other health conditions also may increase the risk of a stroke due to AFib. These conditions include:
  • High blood pressure.
  • Diabetes.
  • Heart failure.
  • Some types of heart valve disease.
Blood thinners are commonly prescribed to prevent blood clots and strokes in people with atrial fibrillation.

Prevention

Healthy lifestyle choices can reduce the risk of heart disease and may prevent atrial fibrillation (AFib). Here are some basic heart-healthy tips:
  • Control high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
  • Don't smoke or use tobacco.
  • Eat a diet that's low in salt and saturated fat.
  • Exercise at least 30 minutes a day on most days of the week unless your health care team says not to.
  • Get good sleep. Adults should aim for 7 to 9 hours daily.
  • Maintain a healthy weight.
  • Reduce and manage stress.


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