Dear doctor, I was two months pregnant when I got vaccines to complete my citizenship status (immigration). My son was born with aortic stenosis. Is this because of the vaccine?
Hi. Could you provide more information: The above are the important factors causing heart defects in newborn. The incidence of the heart defect in the general population: First look at the incidence of congenital heart defects. The crude incidence of congenital heart defects is approximately eight per 1000 live births. Among them, aortic valve stenosis accounts for 3 to 5 % of all the congenital heart defects. Some studies have documented a higher prevalence of aortic valve stenosis in white children than in black and Hispanic children. There is a strong male sex predilection in aortic valve stenosis: the male-to-female ratio is 4:1. Now let us go to discuss the etiology (cause) of the defect: Causes of aortic valve stenosis are multifactorial. There can be family predilection too. The recurrence risk in offspring of an affected father is approximately 3 % but is approximately 15 % in offspring of an affected mother. Abnormal fetal hemodynamics are theorized to contribute to the development of aortic valve stenosis. It is associated with some maternal infections (rubella) but literature regarding association with the vaccine is not available. A definite genetic defect for aortic valve stenosis has not been identified, although it is associated with some syndrome, like Down syndrome, DiGeorge syndrome, etc. Conclusion: By the above discussion, it is clear that it is a multifactorial defect, we cannot blame it on the vaccine itself. Management: The management depends on the type of the problem. Some children may require balloon dilatation. Hope this will help you. Kindly ask a child health specialist online if you have further queries -->