FOX Nation host Rachel Campos-Duffy, 47, confirms 9th baby was born with heart defect, Down syndrome

FOX Nation host Rachel Campos-Duffy and her husband, a state congressman who recently stepped down from his position, have welcomed their ninth child, who was born with a heart defect and Down syndrome.

Rachel, 47, confirmed this week that newborn Valentina arrived last week, a month ahead of her due date, and is still in the NICU: "Valentina was born with a heart defect (2 holes in the heart and valves that need to be fixed)," she wrote. "She will need surgery in 3-4 months."

She continued, "As we suspected, Valentina was also born with an extra chromosome, which means she also has Downs syndrome. That extra chromosome certainly made her EXTRA cute. Life is wonderful!!"

A woman's age is a key factor in whether or not her child as at risk for Down syndrome, according to the National Down Syndrome Society. While the chances are 1 in 1,200 for a woman who gets pregnant at 25, the chances skyrocket to 1 in 10 by age 49.

Rachel and her husband, Sean Duffy, met in 1988 when they were both cast on MTV's "Road Rules: All Stars." In 2011, Sean was elected to Congress as a Republican state representative of Wisconsin. However, upon learning details of his then-unborn child's health, he announced in August he would step down from his position.

"Recently, we’ve learned that our baby, due in late October, will need even more love, time, and attention due to complications, including a heart condition," he said. "With much prayer, I have decided that this is the right time for me to take a break from public service in order to be the support my wife, baby and family need right now."

A conservative pundit who hosts FOX Nation's "Moms" and occasionally appears on FOX News, Rachel and Sean have become relatively well-known as right-wing figures. Among the famous faces with whom they snapped smiling photos in September 2019 are President Trump and Rudy Giuliani.

Rachel was reportedly a contender for "The View" on multiple occasions, sometimes guest-hosting on the show, but never joined as an official co-host.