Does a heart murmur mean my child has a heart problem?

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta pediatric cardiologists have found that there is a lot of misinformation about heart murmurs and what it means for a child who has one.

In the simplest terms, a “murmur” is just a sound. For heart murmurs, that sound is the noise of blood flowing through the heart chambers, valves and arteries.

If your child’s heart murmur is the sound of normal blood flow, the murmur is referred to as an innocent murmur and is considered normal. Innocent heart murmurs are very common in children, and most heart murmurs are indeed innocent.

On the other hand, some heart murmurs may be the first sign of underlying heart disease, such as a hole in the heart, blocked valve, leaky valve, a heart muscle problem or a blood vessel problem. In that case, the heart murmur will sound different to the cardiologist’s ears, and further testing may be required. Evaluation of a heart murmur may include a:

• Detailed family history

• Patient history

• Physical exam

• Resting electrocardiogram (ECG)

• Chest X-ray or an echocardiogram (heart ultrasound)

If there is any concern that your child’s heart murmur is serious, it is critical that your child sees a pediatric cardiologist who has special training and equipment to care for small and growing hearts.

To learn more, visit www.choa.org/parent-resources/ heart/heart-murmurs-in-children.

Insight above provided by Dr. Matthew Oster, Director of the Program to Evaluate and Advance Cardiovascular Health at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta