Heart Murmur - Reading, PA

My son was in the hospital at the age of 1 1/2 due to a stomach virus and the doc there told us she detected a heart murmur. We had it checked at his pediatrician when we went in for the follow up visit and he didn't hear anything out of the ordinary and mentioned that they can sometimes come on only during illness.

HTH-
J.

S.,
I think this is fairly common as both my children (one biological and one adopted) have had a heart murmur on some occasions and not on others (with my son I've only been told once and he's 4, my daughter is only 7 months, so we will wait to be sure it's not a serious problem). I also remember that my sister (who is now almost 30) had a similar problem. Just keep an eye on it and if your regular doc or several docs say it, or if you're concerned, pursue additional information.

M.

I was told at 30 years old that I have a murmur too- BUT, my doctor said that no matter who listens to your chest- if they listen long enough they'll hear a murmur! He said they're more pronounced when people are sick or have a fever. 5 years later (not to mention a bunch of other doctors later too!), no one else has ever 'diagnosed' me with a murmur. I would imagine (and I'm no doctor!!) that your ped. is just being overly diagnostic/ cautious. Don't freak out about it, but DO take your child back to have it checked again. Just keep in mind that this is how you want your pediatrician to be- it's better (in my opinion) that they're TOO cautious rather than miss something that might be serious. Good luck!

heart murmers can be pretty commen but yes they are scary to hear about...i have a 6 year old son who a few years ago a dr. said he has a heart murmer when he was taken to the ER he said that his dr. needed to see him about it...when i took him into his family dr. he explained that sometimes they can have whats called an innocent murmer and that he should outgrow it....hes 6 years old and still has the murmer but hes very healthy

hi it might just go away .. mine did i had one at the age of 2 im now 46. some murmurs only can hear when laying down others sitting up . it will be ok ...

Hi Steph,

Both of my sons have heart murmurs. My 4 month old was diagnosed w/ a heart murmur when he was 2 months old. An echocardiogram was performed and he was diagnosed w/ Pulmonary Valve Stenosis. Currently it is mild but needs to be checked every 6 months (only because of his age). The cardiologist said that many people have hear murmurs and don't know it or have any symptoms. If my sons' murmur stays mild, no restrictions or treatments will be necessary. He will however need to take antibiotics prior to any dental, bladder, or colon procedures to prevent infection of the heart valves.

Recently a heart murmur was also heard on my 3 year old for the first time. The pediatrician said that it was an "innocent heart murmur" which is very common with children. Perhaps this is what your doctor meant by a "floating heart murmur". Here is a link http://familydoctor.org/453.xml. While I was pregnant w/ him a fetal echocardiogram was performed and no heart abnormalties were detected. Therefore I'm not very concerned about the heart murmur but will continue to ask about it at his yearly check-ups. If I notice he appears to have shortness of breath or seems more fatigued than normal (either at rest or play) then I'll request an echocardiogram immediately.

Good luck at your daughters' follow-up and if heart disease or defects run in the family (it does for me) be sure to let the doctor know. If you're really worried (it's hard not to - I know) ask about an echocardiogram or an EKG (ECG). Best wishes - S.

It is not that uncommon for children to have heart murmurs. They typically outgrow them eventually. If the doctor still hears it at the next appointment he may want to do an ultrasound to determine what type it is. The one that is usually outgrown is called an innocent heart murmur. The other kind usually develops after reumatic fever, which is a rare illness these days. I hope everything works out for you.

My soon to be 3 year old has a heart murmur, and he also has VSD (ventricualr septal defect) wich is a hole in the lower chambers of the heart. He was diagnosted with the murmur at 2 weeks old, and then the VSD at 6 mnths old. His murmur is considered an innocent murmur, and it may go away. The hole in his heart is starting to close, but it hasn't closed completely yet. If the doctor's aren't concerned about it, I wouldn't be either. There are a lot of children out there with heart murmurs, and most of them have no signs or symptoms of it. Take it one step at a time. If the doctors feels that there is a problem, he will refer you to a cardiologist to have it checked. Until then, I wouldn't worry about it. Good luck.. I hope everything turns out okay for you.

well alot of times they can have an innocent murmur. my son is 2 1/2 and he has one. he didnt have it at birth but now he does. i wouldnt worry about it. if there were anything to worry about they would have sent you to a cardiologists like they did me. but my son did have a heart defect at birth. thank God now is fine, but still has the murmur so? dont worry about it. its fine!

Both my sister and I have a slight heart murmur. The doctors don't hear it all the time. For us, it hasn't been a big deal and I don't think it has affected as at all. But there is different degrees to it.

Hope your daughter is feeling better.

Y.

S.,
I have 2 children with Heart Murmurs. My middle child is 6 and has seen the cardiologist once a year since he was 2. My youngest is 14 months and she has also seen the cardiologist. Both have "innocent" murmurs. There are 3 types of "innocent" murmurs and most of the time children grow out of themby the ag of 5. My 6 year old still has his. But, the tests are so invasive and the songram of the heart is really cool, especially for them to see.
Good luck with it! Just make sure to have your child see a cardiologist to rule out any problems!