Dr. Marjorie Greenfield
Specializing in pregnancy and birth.
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 Ask Dr. Greenfield
Pregnancy and Mitral Valve Prolapse | | | QUESTION | | | Dear Dr. Greenfield,
I'm curious if you happen to know what (MVP) Mitral Valve Prolapse is?. I have an idea about what it is. I'm just wandering if I could be pregnant, because when I read up on MVP I found out that it can be caused by being pregnant. Is this true? I plan on taking a pregnancy test tomorrow.— Londa in Virginia Beach, Va | | | ANSWER |
February 25, 2002 | | | Dear Londa,
The mitral valve lies between two chambers of the heart--the left atrium and the left ventricle. It allows blood to flow from the atrium into the ventricle, but prevents blood from flowing backwards when the ventricle contracts to pump blood to the body. Mitral valve prolapse occurs when the leaflets of the valve invert, or flip back towards the atrium, when the ventricle contracts. Usually this prolapse doesn't affect heart function.
Most commonly, MVP is identified when a health professional hears a little extra heart sound called a click during routine examination. Most people with MVP have no symptoms and would otherwise not know they had this finding. In some people the click comes and goes, without any apparent harm. MVP is not diagnosed until pregnancy in some women, but pregnancy actually decreases the chance of hearing the click of MVP due to changes in blood flow. Maybe for this reason, even though about 2.4 percent of the population has MVP, only about 1.2 percent of pregnant women are diagnosed with it.
There are two health issues with MVP:
- Some people with MVP get palpitations, an increased awareness of the heart beating or a rapid heart rate. This usually isn't dangerous, but can be annoying. If symptoms are bad, there are medications that can help. Interestingly, palpitations also are common in pregnancy regardless of any valve prolapse.
- In some cases of mitral valve prolapse, the valve may be prone to infection. When a click is heard on exam, or if MVP is diagnosed in some other way, an echocardiogram (ultrasound) of the heart is usually done to check the condition of the valve. If the valve is found to be damaged or leaky (and therefore possibly prone to infection) a short course of antibiotics will be recommended any time that there is a risk of bacteria getting into the blood. Examples of this include when you get dental work or if you are having certain types of surgical procedures. Uncomplicated childbirth doesn't usually require antibiotics.
I hope that this answers your questions. Take care.— by Marjorie Greenfield, M.D. |
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