As a woman with Marfan, one of the biggest differences in my life from those of my non-affected sisters is that I had somewhat different issues to think about when choosing whether to become a mother or not. I'm hoping this page with help others with their own very personal decisions. Because Marfan syndrome is an autosomal dominant genetic disorder, there is a 50-50 chance that any offspring of a Marfan parent will have the disorder. Currently, there is no petri dish or prenatal test to determine if a fetus has the faulty gene unless the exact nature of his or her mutation in the fibrillin is known. This approach is highly accurate if sufficient information can be obtained from the family and does not require the knowledge of the specific mutation.
Pregnancy increases the stress on the cardiovascular system.
Women who have significant heart valve problems should not attempt pregnancy. Women are advised to complete childbearing early in life. All women should have a cardiac evaluation before becoming pregnant. Women who have had composite graft surgery of the aorta need special guidance because of the harmful effects of Coumadin on the developing fetus. Cesarean section is not necessary solely because of the Marfan syndrome, but may be indicated for any reasons usually applied in labor.