Coarctation of the Aorta

Symptoms

If the narrowing is severe, coarctation will be discovered shortly after a baby is born. Symptoms of coarctation in a newborn include:

• rapid breathing
• poor feeding
• poor color
• shock/congestive heart failure

If the narrowing is less severe, a coarctation may not be detected until later childhood, the teenage years or beyond. Unexplained high blood pressure in the arms with decreased pulses in the legs may be the only clues. A school-aged child might have a heart murmur (a noise caused by the turbulence of blood flowing through a narrow region) detected during a physical examination. Some children may complain of headaches, have frequent nosebleeds or cramps.