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Heart Murmurs In Children: What You Should KnowBy Charlotte GerberI remember the first time my son was taken to the emergency room for a few stitches related to a childhood accident. After my child was looked at the attending physician asked me, “You are aware that your child has a heart murmur, right?” Well, no, I wasn’t aware. It sent a wave of panic through me. There had been a wave of young adult athletes dying from heart murmurs and I was quite simply, scared out of my wits. I was advised to check with my child’s pediatrician on my son’s next visit and it was left at that. Fast forward to my son’s next appointment to remove the stitches he had received. I discussed the heart murmur with his doctor and was told it was nothing to worry about; it was an “innocent” murmur. As a mother, I can tell you that hearing that your child has a heart murmur, no matter how “innocent” is cause for concern. An “innocent” heart murmur is also referred to as a “functional” heart murmur. This type of murmur can become louder when a child is scared or has a fever. This is why in my son’s case it may have sounded more obvious at the emergency room when he was about to get stitches. The good news about these types of murmurs is that children often outgrow them as they grow up. According to the Cincinnati Children’s Heart Center, heart murmurs can be heard in 90 percent of children ages 4 to 7. Children that have “innocent” heart murmurs can run, jump and play as any other children can. Unless a physician says otherwise, they can continue to live life like any other normal child. Rarely, a heart murmur can signal another problem in your child. Your child’s pediatrician can help make the determination if a pediatric cardiologist needs to be visited. Murmurs can mean that your child has a small hole in their heart, a leak in one of the valves or a narrow heart valve. Typical tests that are performed to determine a serious problem include chest x-rays, electrocardiogram or an echocardiogram. Children that have more serious heart murmurs often can control their conditions with prescription medications and can expect to live normal lives. The best way to ensure the health of your child, with or without a heart murmur, is regular wellness visits to their pediatrician. Don’t wait until your child is sick to make a yearly visit to their pediatrician.
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