It can be a scary time for parents when their child is diagnosed with a heart murmur. But it is important to know that this condition is actually quite common and usually not a cause for concern. In fact, more than 50 percent of all children have heart murmurs at some time and most of those murmurs do not have any effect on the child’s health.
 
A heart murmur is an abnormal sound heard during a heartbeat cycle. A normal heartbeat makes a “lub-dub” sound as heart valves open and close moving blood through the heart. A murmur is an extra sound that could be blood moving normally through the heart, or it could be the sign of a heart problem.
 
Heart murmurs can be detected using a stethoscope held to different parts of the chest. Heart murmurs are rated on a loudness scale from one to six, with one being barely audible to six being quite loud. If a murmur is identified, your child’s doctor will note where on the chest the murmur is best heard, pitch of the murmur sound, whether it is affected by changing body position or movement, when it occurs and for how long. There are two kinds of heart murmurs, innocent (or functional) and abnormal.
 
Innocent heart murmurs are the most common type. They can occur in a normal, healthy heart when blood flows faster through the heart, which can happen during physical activity or if the child has a fever. This type of murmur usually resolves on its own as the child gets older and does not pose a health threat. Children with innocent heart murmurs do not require any special treatment or diet, and they do not have any restrictions on their activities.
 
Abnormal heart murmurs are more serious and may be caused by a congenital heart defect. A child with an abnormal heart murmur usually is referred to a pediatric cardiologist who will order additional tests, such as a chest X-ray, echocardiogram or electrocardiogram, to confirm the presence of a heart problem.
 
Approximately one percent of babies are born with a congenital heart defect. Common heart defects that can cause heart murmurs include abnormal heart valves that either do not allow enough blood through or do not close properly and leak, as well as holes in the walls between heart chambers. Newborns and infants with significant heart defects may experience rapid breathing, problems with feeding, failure to thrive or blueness in the lips. Older children may be fatigued, have difficulty exercising or experience chest pain.
 
Treatment for abnormal heart murmurs will depend on the cause of the problem. Medications can be prescribed to help the heart beat more efficiently, prevent blood clots from forming, remove excess fluid from the body, or lower blood pressure or cholesterol. Surgery may be recommended to patch a hole in the heart, fix or replace a valve, or rebuild or widen blood vessels.  For more information about heart murmurs, talk with your doctor or call 1-888-ST-CHRIS for a free referral to a St. Christopher’s Hospital pediatric cardiologist.