BIRTH DEFECTS

Aortic stenosis
The aortic valve is situated at the top of the left ventricle, and blood must pass through this valve in order to enter the aorta where it is distributed to the rest of the body. Normally the cusps of the aortic valve are thin and flexible. In aortic stenosis the aortic valve is thickened and stiff which narrows the opening, allowing less blood to pass into the aorta and causing the heart to work harder to pump the same amount of blood to the body. Normally symptoms do not appear until after teenage years; however, if the narrowing is severe, symptoms can occur in infancy. Surgery can temporarily enlarge the opening, but often the valve needs to be replaced with an artificial one.

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