How serious is this heart murmur?

My son was diagnosed at birth with a heart murmur, Aortic valve insufficiency (very mild) per cardiologist. However, as much info as they give you they dont really give you long term info. I just wondered if anyone can tell me if they have lived with this type of murmur and if they have had a surgery for it as his DR thinks at some point he may need a valve repair and this is my baby, and it makes me so scared to think about.

and the cardiologist always kind of tells us that this is a mild case of a heart defect but then everytime we end up at the DR office or ER they make a big deal out of the fact that he has a murmur. Like if he has an ear infection they will say things like "no need to take a risk with an abnormal heart" which really makes you feel like your kid has some kind of horrible disease

Honestly, it is a big deal. My son was born with a Congenital Heart Disease Called Tetralogy Of Fallot and has already had 2 open-heat surgeries. He was diagnosed with a"heart murmer" at birth. Do some reasearch yourself and trust your "mommy instincts" if something doesn't feel right to you - voice your concerns. Ask is the surgery will need to be open-heart or if it can be through a cardiac cathiterazation. Please e-mail me if you have any other questions. I will keep you and your family in my prayers =)

my granddaughter may need a heart replacement when she is 40. she's only 4. god bless you.

MY brother has a heart murmur and he doesn't have too many problems. He is 30 yrs old and sometimes has chest pains, if it is related to the murmur or not, im not sure. He had no surgery.
They then check me for it and found out it was not a murmur but a strange sounds that they could not pin point. I have not had any problems with mine. I think many people have some type of heart problem, and I really think your lil boy will be just fine! No need to worry. Just make sure your Doctor checks everything he can and if you dont trust him.....Get a 2nd opinion! Thats one of the most important things!

I am a heart and lung surgery nurse. I can tell you, though I only deal with adults @ the hospital, that I understand the feeling of panic you have, because I am also a mom. My youngest child was born with VSD, ventricular septal defect, and I remember the panic I felt everytime she had a cold, or an upper resiratory infection. What I can tell you, as a nurse, is that no two children, nor their heart problems are the same. The best thing that you can do, as a mom, for your baby, is to keep taking him/her to the cardiologist, to be followed. There are many types of heart murmurs, and they differ greatly in what they need for treatment, and in severity. Some need surgery, some never do. Please understand that medical professionals treat your baby with the utmost caution when he/she is sick, to help prevent a serious complication, not because they are always truely expecting one. It is the better safe than sorry, approach. I understand your fear. For your sake, educate yourself about heart murmurs, your cardiologist or pediatrition will have some great resources. The more information you have, and I mean solid, reputable information, the more at ease you will feel. Some areas even have support groups for parents with kids who have heart problems. Talking with other parents who have faced the same challenges, may be helpful for you. Take heart, (no pun intended)... My daughter is 6, her defect corrected itself. She runs, plays and is a first grader, now. Just keep on being that loving, concerned mom. Your baby is lucky to have you.

Changes to the heart due to aging or heart surgery also may cause an innocent heart murmur. Over time, innocent heart murmurs may disappear.

Abnormal heart murmurs
Although most murmurs aren't serious, some may result from a heart problem. The most common cause of abnormal murmurs in children is congenital heart disease 鈥?when babies are born with structural defects in the heart. Common congenital defects that cause murmurs include:

Holes in the heart. More than half of abnormal murmurs in children are the result of holes in the walls between heart chambers or abnormal passageways between major blood vessels leaving the heart.
Valve abnormalities. Examples include narrow valves that don't allow enough blood through them or those that don't close properly and leak.
Other causes of abnormal murmurs include infections and conditions that damage the structures of the heart. For example:

Rheumatic fever. Rheumatic fever is a serious inflammatory condition that can occur when you don't receive prompt or complete treatment for a strep throat infection. In many cases, rheumatic fever may permanently affect the heart valves and interfere with normal blood flow through your heart. Prompt and proper treatment of strep throat with antibiotics can prevent strep throat from progressing to rheumatic fever.
Endocarditis. This is an infection and inflammation of the inner lining of your heart and valves. Endocarditis typically occurs when bacteria or other germs from another part of your body, such as your mouth, spread through your bloodstream and lodge in your heart. Left untreated, endocarditis can damage or destroy your heart valves. This condition usually occurs in people who already have heart abnormalities.
Valve calcification. This hardening or thickening of valves can occur as you age. These valves may not work as well as they once did, resulting in murmurs.
Trust me its not as bad as u think. God right there with him. I don't know how u feel,but i do have children and if something happened to them I will die. But its the best for him. Talk to your doctor to see what's the out come of the surgery. God bless. I know alot of prople with heart mumur and they older than grits. Everything gonna work out fine. Trust me...