How serious is a heart murmur in a baby?

How serious is a heart murmur in a baby?

A heart murmur has no complications. But your child may have complications related to the condition causing the heart murmur. A child with a congenital heart defect may have poor growth and development, heart failure, or other serious problems.

Is it normal for a baby to have a heart murmur?

Who Gets Heart Murmurs? Parents might worry if they’re told that their child has a heart murmur. But heart murmurs are very common, and many kids are found to have one at some point. Most murmurs are not a cause for concern and won’t affect a child’s health at all.

Can a heart murmur be life threatening?

Many heart murmurs aren’t life-threatening and don’t need treatment. But other heart murmurs do need treatment because they’re a sign of an underlying problem with your heart. It’s important to remember that if you’ve been diagnosed with a heart murmur, that doesn’t mean you’ll always have it.

Do babies outgrow heart murmurs?

Innocent murmurs (functional murmurs) Many disappear as the child grows, although some do last into adulthood. Your doctor can detect these murmurs by simply listening to your child’s heart with a stethoscope. Children with innocent heart murmurs do not have a related heart problem.

What causes a newborn to have a heart murmur?

Heart murmurs are a common finding in infants and children and mostly originate from normal flow patterns with no structural or anatomic abnormalities of the heart or vessels and are referred to as innocent, physiological or normal murmurs; conversely, murmur may be created by abnormal flow patterns in the heart and …

What can cause a baby to have a heart murmur?

History of rheumatic fever; Overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) Having uncontrolled diabetes or a rubella infection during pregnancy increases your baby’s risk of developing heart defects and a heart murmur. Use of certain medications, alcohol or drugs during pregnancy can lead to heart defects in a developing baby, which may cause a heart murmur.

Are there any signs or symptoms of a heart murmur?

Symptoms. If you have a harmless heart murmur, more commonly known as an innocent heart murmur, you likely won’t have any other signs or symptoms. An abnormal heart murmur may cause no obvious other signs or symptoms, aside from the unusual sound your doctor hears when listening to your heart with a stethoscope.

What kind of doctor should I see if my child has heart murmur?

If the provider hears an abnormal sound, he or she may refer you to a pediatric cardiologist. This is a doctor with special training to treat children with heart problems. Tests include: Chest X-ray. An X-ray creates images of the heart and lungs. Electrocardiogram (ECG). This test that measures the electrical activity of the heart.

How can I get my heart murmur to go away?

Some of these heart murmurs may go away on their own with time. If the murmur is from a congenital heart defect, treatment may include medicine, procedures, or surgery. If the murmur is from another condition, the heart murmur will usually lessen or go away once the condition is treated.

What are the grades of murmur intensity?

• VI: Barely audible
• VI: Faint but easily audible
• VI: Loud murmur without a palpable thrill
• VI: Loud murmur with a palpable thrill
• VI: Very loud murmur heard with stethoscope lightly on chest
• VI: Very loud murmur that can be heard without a stethoscope

  Is a heart murmur serious?

  A heart murmur isn’t a disease — but murmurs may indicate an underlying heart problem. Often, heart murmurs are harmless (innocent) and don’t need treatment. Some heart murmurs may require follow-up tests to be sure the murmur isn’t caused by a serious underlying heart condition.

  What is a systolic murmur?

  A systolic murmur is a heart murmur heard during systole, the full time one’s heart contracts, involving the normal first and 2nd heart sounds. by Vera AnkneyReport definition. “Systolic” arises from the Greek systole definition “a drawing together or a contraction.”.