Heart Murmur

Hi P.! I was in the SAME boat as you a while back. When my son was 17 months (he is now almost 2 1/2) we were in Texas visiting family. My son got sick so we took him in to a clinic where the doctor informed us that he heard a heart murmur. I too freaked out. My sister and brother-in-law are both in the medical field (my sister is an L&D nurse). They both assured me that this was completely normal. Of course, being a concerned mom, I call my son's doctor in Ohio. She said she hadn't heard anything. At his next appointment (one week later) she still didn't hear anything. A month later we went in for a routine check up and the murmur was heard, but hasn't been there since then. After tons of research I found this is very normal in infants and most of them usually out grow it by the age of 2. I would wait until your son is 2 before seeking a specialist. If your doctor was alarmed he/she would have told you, they don't want to see your child in danger anymore than you do. Hope this helps. Hold your head up high and trust your insticts! Hope you have a great day!
-S.

P.-

You should always do what you feel is the right thing to do for your child. How comfortable are you w/ your pediatrician? Do you trust him/her? If you like your Dr, then I would wait before seeing a specialist. He would tell you if it were something to worry about.

I have a heart murmer, and mitral valve prolapse (another heart condition). These are evidently conditions that I have had since birth, but I was not diagnosed until I was an adult. I have never had any trouble because of the murmer. I eventually saw a cardiologist about the MVP, and he said it is nothing really to worry about, other than taking anti-biotics before dental appointments and surgical procedures. And this is just a precaution.

At this point I would not worry too much. I know that's easier said than done - especially when it involves your own child. That is why you need to do what you think is best. Regardless of what anyone tells you - including your pediatrician.

Good luck!
-A.

If you would feel more comfortable going to a specialist, by all means do it. You wouldn't be going over your prediatrician's head.

Re: the murmur- I have a slight heart murmur. It has never caused me problems and shouldn't ever. Some ARE more serious, though. My cousin has one and has had some issues, although I don't know all the details.

In my opinion, I'm not a doctor though, if it were really bad, the doctor probably would have heard it before now- even through the crying, etc. To me, that says you should be OK to wait it out until the next appointment.

I *think* some kids will even outgrow their heart murmurs.

Hi P.,

Although I'm not sure in the case of babies, I'm 36 and about a year and half ago, a new doctor I visited detected a hear murmur on me and was shocked that no one else notice, especially since I'm the type to always have my annual check ups.
He said that a huge percentage of people (way over 50%) have heart murmurs that are nothing to worry about; however, he had the cardiologist check it to make sure it really was nothing to worry about. Fortunately, everything is fine and its just there.
That may be the case with your baby as the doctor say, its really up to you how confortable and how much you trust your doctor to see if you ask for a second opinion, but is my understanding that on the average person, a murmur really means nothing.
Good luck!

Hi Trisha,

My brother has a heart murmur that he has had his whole life and it has not bothered him at all. He plays sports and does everything everyone else does without worry. Also, my friend's daughter had one at birth but it was gone by the time she was one. Most of the time, they are not serious, just something doctors will keep an eye on. Try not to worry too much - although I know its impossible not to. My son had a health issue at his 6 month appointment and I went crazy waiting for test results and not knowing what was going on.

Maybe you should give your son's doctor a call and ask for more info, like whether its likely that it will go away on its own, what type it is, how common is it, what would happen if it is still there in 3 months, etc. Hopefully if he can give you more info, that will make you feel better and get rid of all of the terrible "what if's." If he can't, then maybe consider seeing another doctor or a specialist. Hang in there!

I was shocked as you were when the doctor heard a murmur at my daughter's 3yr check last December. What is weird is she was in for Scarlet Fever last September and nothing was mentioned then about a murmur and then at her 3yr appt they heard it. The doctor said it is a "vibratory" murmur and they will just keep monitoring it at her check ups. They have not suggested we see a cardiologist either. After some worrying, my husband and I have come to the conclusion if the doctor thought it needed specialized attention they would have us see a cardiologist. Hope eveything continues to go well for you.

M.

Most murmurs in infants do go away. Your doctor is right, and he will likely grow out of it. I have seen in one day some people hear a murmur and others not (I used to work in an NICU). Seriously, it's probably nothing. My mom still has a murmur, and it doesn't cause her any problems at all. Try not to stress, and just give it some time!

Trisha,
I can relate to your scared feelings. My daughter was less than one week old when I received the news that she had a murmur and should see a cardiologist. As it turns out, my daughter has a 'tiny' PDA (patent ductus arteriosis- not sure on spelling). Her murmur is checked with every pediatrician visit, and she saw the cardiologist every six months- she's now going yearly.
If your mother's tuition is urging you to get a second opinion, do so. I would just to be safe. Many children are born with some type of murmur. His previous doctor most likely over looked it or didn't think it was worth mentioning (which is wrong).
There are different size classifications which determine the severity. As with my daughter's 'tiny' hole it is believed that it will repair itself- but needs to be monitored to recognize either that or the hole getting bigger.
But ask your doctor for a referral, or if you have open acccess find a pediatric cardiologist, explain your concerns and make an appointment.

Best Wishes!
J.

P.--

The fact your son was quiet probably DID have a lot to do with hearing the murmur or not, so don't worry too much that it somehow just popped up.

My daughter had been going to the same practice from the time she was born until they heard her murmur (I believe it was at her 12 month checkup). My husband was freaking out, but I was prepared because I had had the same thing and mine went away without any intervention--and they CAN be hereditary.

While it's probably OKAY to wait, my Pediatrician at the time went ahead and had my daughter go to a Pediatric Cardiologist -- Dr. Terrence Dillon in Beavercreek. He was AWESOME with her and had her do a ECG and ultrasound and everything was fine--he determined that it was a benign murmur and would go away on its own. And it did.

If you're worried, make another appointment with your Pediatrician. If they still hear it, you may want to have your daughter rechecked as well (might "help" determine if there's something hereditary) and at least get your son into the cardiologist.

Most likely it's nothing to worry about, but a good pediatrician will not be afraid to allow someone else to give a second opinion. If your Ped is hesitant, it's time to find a new one.

Good luck!

My son's Dr. said the same thing when he was 2 1/2(he is 5 now). She sent me to have an ultrasound done on his heart and found that it was nothing to worry about. Some people have murmurs that are just a flutter in the valve and won't cause any harm. I wouldn't worry yourself to much but I would ask him to do the test if it will calm you down. No one needs anymore stress than nessasary. Good Luck!

P.- PLEASE don't let this scare you. if it were crucial, your doc would have referred you to a specialist.
a murmur is SIMPLY the sound of blood "sloshing" inside a chamber after its valve closes. it is quite audible in children (due to size) and pregnant women (due to blood volume)
contrary to the belief of MANY people, it usually isn't outgrown, but the sound becomes less obvious as they get older.
USUALLY it isn't due to a prolapsed valve, although it is a symptom of one. (if that isn't clear, let me make an analogy: because you throw up in the morning, it doesn't mean you're pregnant. but sometimes pregnant women DO throw up...)
anyway, just do some research to ease your mind. its not a big deal. -L.

hi P., please don't worry about it. i'm sure your son's doctor is amply capable of making a decision about your son's heart murmur. they are quite common. my youngest daughter was born with one. i was informed about it soon after she was born. i was given no special instructions about it just like you. one day at one of her well child visits her pediatrician told me it was gone, closed up. just like that, poof its gone! now that your son's doctor is aware of it, he can watch for signs of anything to be concerned of so i would trust him to take good care of your son for you and not to worry about it. however if seeing a specialist would make you feel better then do whats best for you. you could even call your pediatrician and tell them of your concerns and ask them to refer you to a specialist. that way you wouldn't feel as if youre going 'over his head'. God bless you and yours and good luck!

Both of my step daughters had heart murmurs. I guess you can say they grew out of them. The only time anything ever came of it is if they had to have dnetal work done. I believe they have to take a course of PCN or sme sort of antibiotic. They never had any problem with their heart murmurs, I believe they were both about 6 when they "grew out" of them.
Good Luck!

Hi Trisha,

My 3rd son was 12 months when his Dr heard his. They watched it and even did other test. He is fine, he's 4 now. My 2nd son who is 20 now, was found about the same age. Most of the time there is nothing to worry about. But do what will make you feel better. You can request your Dr to do more test, its your child. If he will not then find another Dr.

S.

My daughter also has a heart murmur. She is three years old now, and it has never been a problem. Our pediatrician said it was an "innocent murmur," which is somewhat common and no cause for concern. It was so faint, that only one doctor in the practice noticed it as in your situation. If you trust your doctor, I would not worry about it but would be sure to remind them to monitor it as your son grows. Good luck.

Hello P., I know that its hard and really scary, but I would waite. The same thing has happened to me with my oldest son, he is now 8 and his was first heard about 6 months ago. He has been in the hospital before and has had some surgerys, and no one has said anything before the last dr. did. I wouldn't worry about it til your next app. My son has since played soccer, and is now going out for basketball. So I would just keep praying for him, and I will keep him in my prayers also. Do take care and God Bless. I hope this helps you a little

I got the same scare when my son was about four months old. Our doctor sent us for an ultrasound of his heart where they discovered that he had a small hole. I was so scared but the doctor at the hospital and my doctor both said that it was common and it would probably close up on its own and it did. Your sons probably will too. If your doctor is not overly concerned about it I would suggest waiting until his next checkup to see how things are before you go running to any specialists. It really is common. My nephew had the same thing. Hope this helps.

I was born with an innocent heart murmur. As I grew it went away. My thought is that if the doctor is just going to check on it in a few months, it's probably nothing to worry about. In addition, if no other doctor noticed then it's probably not that big.

Of course, if you feel you need to, you should get a second opinion.

Trisha,
I know everyone is saying the same thing, but just to reinforce that, both of my brothers had heart murmurs. They both grew out of them before they were 4. My girlfriend (26 yrs) just recently found out she had a murmur. The doc told her that she has more than likely had it her whole life. She is active in sports and everything. She just never knew. She had a stress test and they told her that it was nothing to worry about and that it would be riskier to try to fix it than to just let it be. I would just wait it out. I know that it is hard not to worry, but it really is common, and it probably will be just fine. :)
~L.

P.,

Coming from an entire family with heart murmurs of different types (my father, my brother, myself and my daughter), I can tell you that, although initially frightening, the murmur is really nothing to get too worried about. I myself have lived with one without problem for 35 years. It really depends on what type of heart murmur your child has. I have a tricuspid valve regurgitation and taking an antibiotic before surgeries or dental appointments and the occasional 'hiccup' in my chest are the only effects it has had on my life. My daughter and brother, however, both were diagnosed with PDA - patent ductus arteriosis which is commonly known as a 'hole in the heart'. This is a condition that cardiologists reccomend gets corrected. I know people who have lived with this condition their whole lives without problem but there is risk for endocarditis when it is left untreated. My daughter was diagnosed at around 6 months of age. Her pediatrician detected a murmur and determined that it needed to be checked out by a cardiologist. The cardiologist performed an ultrasound. (Just like you had on your abdomen while you were pregnant). It's not uncomfortable for the baby, just some cold jelly on his chest. My daughter's cardiologist determined, from that ultrasound, that she did have PDA and the surgery was performed only a few weeks later. The chance of your son having this condition just because he has a murmur is rare but, if he did, I can tell you that the surgery is just an outpatient procedure and lasts only about a half hour. It's a procedure performed like a heart catheterization. It was scary for me but my daughter went home within a few hours of the surgery and had no pain or recovery issues.

My recommendation is, as far as your doctor is concerned, question him as soon as you can about whether or not he feels your son might have a murmur associated with patent ductus arteriosis. If he sounds certain that it definitely is not. I would go with that diagnosis but find out what type of murmur it is. Every doctor, dentist, whatever he sees for the rest of his life will need to know this. If your doctor is unsure of what type of murmur it is, don't let him put it off, I would ask to be referred to a pediatric cardiologist, just to be certain. If indeed it was PDA, the corrective surgery is easiest on a small child as the catheter hasn't as far to travel and small children are (especially those in daycare) more at risk to types of illnesses that can pose the greatest threat to a vulnerable heart.

I hope my insight has been helpful to you. If you need any other advice on this subject, please feel free to email me. ____@____.com.

It is fairly common for children to have a heart murmur. Almost all of them will out grow out of it. As they grow and become stronger, so does their heart.

I had a heart murmur when i was a kid and didn't outgrow it until probably 10th grade. But it wasn't a big deal -- it didn't affect my life a bit.

I would wait and see and not go to a specialist, they tend to go over board on the testing and if your soon is particularly afraid of the doctor it might be very upsetting to him.

Good Luck -- Isn't this fun! ;-)

-T. B.

Some murmurs are serious and need immediate help but are also much easier to find, some are minor, hard to ditect and take care of themselves. I would say that if it was just found that there's a good chance it is not serious, and just needs general monitoring at regular check ups. Keeping check ups up to date, going when you are suppose to would be ever more important now. Many poeple, even in their later years, walk around with a heart murmur and don't even know it.

P.,

Your doctor should really have explained heart murmurs to you.There are different kinds. A common and less serious kind is the functional heart murmur, which kids usually grow out of. It can appear at a certain stage in childhood and then go away. I had one and my daughter had one. We both grew out of them. They lasted only a couple years.