A heart murmur is a ‘whooshing echo’ heard in-between the beats via a stethoscope. It s just an extra sound the blood produces while it flows through the heart.
A murmur is invariably identified during a routine checkup. Normal heart sounds occur when the heart valves shut.
Heart Murmur in Children Causes
- The commonest cause is congenital (present at birth) heart disease.
- The heart, the valves, or blood vessels have not developed properly.
- However, most heart murmurs are harmless and occur when the blood flows through valves in a healthy heart, and thus, do not necessitate treatment. On the other hand, murmurs caused due to blood flow through an over-worked / damaged valve, needs treatment.
- Valvular defects may be present at birth or may result due to other disorders, like, rheumatic fever, heart attacks, or endocarditis.
Heart Murmur in Children Symptoms
- By and large there are no presenting features / symptoms.
- Some children have ‘innocent murmurs’. They are not linked to any congenital heart defects, and resolve by adulthood.
Heart Murmur in Children Treatment
- The treatment for heart murmurs depends on the cause.‘Innocent heart murmurs’ are not a sign of disease and need no treatment.
- Mitral valve prolapse needs no management, only regular check-ups by the physician. Conditions like hypertension may cause heart murmurs; your physician will address the fundamental cause. Some valvular diseases may need medication or surgery.
- If the child has a murmur because of a condition like, hyperthyroidism, anemia or fever, it will resolve once the disorder is treated.