Child with heart murmur?

My 7 year old child was diagnosed with an aortic heart murmur 2+ to 3+ in intensity today. In the past, some docs thought they heard a murmur but it was very minor, but usually it was not heard. The doc ended up hearing it VERY loudly today, he said, because she was sick, higher heart rate, easier to hear. He said she definitely needs an echocardiogram. Any advice from nurses/docs out there? Thank you.

Children commonly have "innocent" murmurs that can be heard for a couple of reasons - thin chest wall and relative configuration of a child's heart compared to an adults, causing an "outflow" murmur. Children often grow out of these murmurs.

Your doctor is being prudent in having the matter evaluated with an echocardiogram. I can think of several reasons why you would want to have it evaluated under these circumstances. If the the echo comes back normal, then I would stop worrying - rest assured that this is one of those innocent murmurs that will resolve as your child ages and does NOT require antibiotic pre-treatment for dental procedures, etc.

I hope this helps. Good luck.

the sound or grading of a murmur is very subjective - every doctor hears it differently. Just get the echo done before you stress about it - that will tell you definitively if its an "innocent" murmur or one that needs attention.

Julie,
I wouldn't worry until your daughter's doc tells you too. Heart murmurs are common and sometimes, if minor, no treatment is needed at all. Infact, some people go there who lives without ever knowing they even have one. Here is a good website that might help answer some of your questions. Good luck!

http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/hea...

I'm not a nurse or doc, but my 6 yr old was also diagnosed with a heart murmur a couple years ago. She did have the echocardiogram just to determine the intensity. It found that she had a couple (apparently not that uncommon in people with murmurs), but that it is not anything that would ever interfere with a normal life.

I agree with your doctor. Murmurs are definitely louder when people are sick because the heart is working harder and blood flows through faster. Get the echocardiogram to find out exactly what is happening..ex. leaky valve, normal heart ("the innocent murmer), or something real dangerous like a thickened heart septum.

I am answering just in case you don't get the answers you need from nurses or docs. So, only from personal experience here.

I had a congential heart murmur and it got better with time. I'm not sure how it could get worse. If you think about it, one of the valve don't close all the way. How would this be made worse by time. Typically, as I understand it, these congenital murmurs that are deemed minor at birth, simple get better with increases in physical development.

Perhaps your doc just wants to err on the side of caution with the echocardiogram specialist??

An echo is just like an ultra sound. So it shouldn't fase her apart from the cold gel.
I have had many as i suffered from tetrallogy of fallots. Most heart murmers are easier to pick up when sick, mine has been repaired and if i over excercise or am ill with a fever for a few days I can even feel it myself - slight palpatations, short of breath. This is not un normal. many l8r diagonosed murmers tend to be innocent, audible but not causing the patient any problems. Best to get it checked by a cardiologist as if it turns out to be ab normal if there are any tooth extractions at the dentist or major colds it necassary to take a course of antibiotics.

Try not to worry if you havn't notced to much of a change in activity levels other than the recent cold. My advice is if You can stay calm and realaxed and not to concerned your daughter will be able to realx and to be scared of the tests -ecg , x ray and echo.
i kno im not a dr or nurse but i have had the same stresses in my life tooo. Just dont panic if there is sumthing wrong. it will make it worse for every one.