Toddler Heart Murmur Please Help!!!

Its a scary thing to have a child with a heart murmur. I have 2 of them, they each have an ASD, which basically is a hole in thier heart. So far neither needs surgery and neither needs any special treatment. I was told by my doctor to watch out for failure to thrive, which is the low weight, not reaching milestones, and not really eating. I am not saying this is what your child has, but its what we went thru. The best place to get info on murmurs is WebMD.com. They can give you other reasons for it, including the flow murmur and why that happens sometimes. Good Luck!

I don't know much about anemia or heart murmurs, but I thought I say that being below the 5% is not necessarily something to worry about. My son stayed at 2% from 6 months to 18 months. His doctor ordered blood tests just to be safe, but turns out there was absolutely nothing wrong with him. Sometimes, kids are just smaller than what is considered normal. If your daughter is happy and healthy acting then try not to let her weight worry you. I hope things turn out well with her heart. Good luck!

My 10month old daughter was born with a congenital heart defect that sounds like a murmer. Chances are if your Dr. hasn't heard it in over a year of care, it's not serious. Murmers in and of themselves usually are pretty benign, esp. if the baby isn't have any symptoms of heart failure (excessive sweatyness when eating, difficulting keeping her O2 saturations up, fatigue etc)

My daughter is a tiny tot weighing in at only 26 lbs at 27mos. She has always been small. Some kids are just that way. My oldest was below the 5th percentile too and now at 8 is just fine.
We went to the doctor for tonsilitis for my 2 year old recently and the doctor said "So I see your child" has a murmur." I was alarmed because this was the first I heard of it.
Although it's something they will have to check up on periodically don't be afraid. It usually is not life threatening or something that can be repaired later in life as in the case of my Mom. Don't be afraid to ask plenty of questions and get a second and third opinion if necessary.

This may not help but I had a heart murmer in high school and grew out of it. Yes I also had an ultrasound as well and nothing came of it. She may also just grow out of it but I understand the extra fear since she is so young. Good luck, my prayers are with you.

I would ask your pediatrician if she could give you a referral to a pediatric cardiologist, assuming something does turn up on the ultrasound. My son was born w/a heart murmur (PDA) and had surgery to correct it at 18 months (because of the strength of the jet, not the size of the hole). The procedure was quick and non-invasive (coil insertion to close the hole...they went up through the artery in his leg) and now it's like the murmur was never there. Until you get the results from the ultrasound I would try not to worry, if possible. Quite often murmurs aren't treated because it's not medically necessary. A cardiologist will know what to do and whether or not repair is necessary.

My son's doctor also said he found a heart murmur and he is 3. How could he have not found this before? He is also small but not off the charts. He is going to have an echo test done next month and our doctor told us it is probably nothing to worry about and he will out grow it.

Hi,
I have had problems with asthma and I also have mitrol valve prolapse, with a tendency for anemia. I take a liquid supplement from the health food store called Florevital. My doctor recommended this because I have trouble digesting anything that isn't natural. I also am careful to eat whole grains every day. I would give her waffles and cereal made out of organic whole grains that you grind yourself. Don't let her drink soda pop or eat ice cream. (I know, I know, this was a tough one for me too). watch the mile products.
Best of luck to you,
K.
Mother of 5, Grammy of almost 10

I had a heart murmur as a child and have long since out grown it. It sounds like they are not all that uncommon and many kids out grow them. I did not have all the work up done your doctor suggests but it may not be a bad idea just to make sure.

Heart murmers are funny things. They can come and go on their own. One of my daughters had one at birth and then it was gone. I have a brother-in-law who has experienced heart mummurs on and off throughout his life. When he had them it did limit his activity because his chest would hurt after exertion. If there is a possibility your daughter may have a major medical problem I would consider putting the hunt for job on hold. She will need your constant care:)

My daughter had a heart murmor when she was a baby. they told me that most children have them and they will outgrow them. My daughter also had low iron. Just make sure that you are giving her vitamins. After a couple years of getting my duaghter checked often, she is fine. I wouldnt worry too much about these two things, but i would have them checked often, to ease your mind.

My daughter had to see a pediatric cardiologist for a different reason, and I highly recommend the one we worked with! His name is Dr. Michael Florentine with Western Michigan Pediatric Cardiology in downtown Grand Rapids. Not only was he very experienced, he had a bedside manner that is second to none. He explained everything thoroughly and spent a lot of time answering my questions. He personally called me at home, and connected me to another mom who went through the same situation. Heart problems can be scary, so hang in there - I'll say a prayer for you. L.

L.,
I see you've had a lot of responses & your post is a little bit "old" but here's my two cents anyway. I was diagnosed with a heart murmur as an infant. To this day, some doctors can hear it & others can't. I never had any problems. I was so low on the height/weight charts (and this was 30+ years ago) that my mother had child protective services called on her because they thought we weren't being fed (not true).

So, if I were you, I would get a second opinion & if it's different than the first, then maybe try for a third! It's always better to be safe than sorry but not every heart condition is something to be worried about.
Good luck to you & your little one!!
T.

L.,

My daughter was found to have a heart murmur. We had to go through blood testing and ultrasounds. She was also low on the charts. We ended up going to a pediatric cardiac specialist and he told us she would probably outgrow it. She did. She is 25 years old, happy and healthy and still petite.

Don't worry for now. Unless the ultrasound shows a problem, they will probably tell you the same thing they told us.

L. :)

With my second child while still in the hospital we were told it sounded like she had a heart murmur. Of course, you immediately think of everything bad. Then before we left the hospital we were told they didn't hear it anymore. Then with all the regular baby and child check-ups they get, it was at her 5 year check up that the doctor casually mentions hearing the heart murmur!!! I was floored. There wasn't any mention of it from the day we took her home from the hospital. She immediately said it sounded "musical", like nothing serious. I think she could see the fear on my face, so she said she would set up an appointment for her to go to the hospital to have an Echocardiogram. It was where they put the little sticky pads on their chest and use an ultrasound machine to check everything.Nothing that hurts them at all. Course it is a tech so she couldn't tell us a thing. Ended up everything was O.K. It was a non-threatening heart murmur. I was told a lot of people have them and don't even know it. It's just hard hearing that there may be anything wrong with your child, especially the heart. Emma is now 8 1/2 years old and loves to play basketball. :) I hope everything will be just fine with your daughter.

I have a heart murmur and it's never been a big deal. I would certainly listen to your doctor, though regarding his concern. I have just always had to be on antibiotic for dental work,surgeries or anything, just so I wouldn't get infection in my heart. But, with a 15-month old, that's how old my baby is, too, I would just do what they tell me to. Maybe get a second opinion. See if another doctor can hear it.

My son was three when my doctor detected a murmur on a routine visit. Never was it heard before in three years. They sent us for an ultrasound of the heart. They were checking to see if all the chambers of the heart closed properly and blood was flowing in the right direction.The results were normal so they called it a benign heart murmur. Not long after that the sound was undetectable. He is now 8 and it's never been heard again.I know it's hard not to worry. Best wishes for the same results.

Try not to worry. Your doctor is doing all the right things to see if there is any problems. As for heart murmurs...I have one, all of my children have one. We are all active, do whatever we want, and have not had any problems. So, take it easy and just have fun with that adorable baby.

After reading some of the responses, I don't feel like I am adding any new information, but I feel compleled to respond. I read your question and thought that I could have written it. I have a 4 1/2 yr old that fits what you wrote perfectly. We too never had a murmur until she was about a yr old. We were refered to a cardiologist and they did a chest x-ray, and a ekg before we saw him. Then when we met with the cardiologist he told us that it is something called a flow murmur. He said that is was pretty common and that all that you were hearing is the heart doing what it was supposed to be doing. He related it to a pump or water flowing through the pipes in your house. Then to top it off we have another daughter who is now 3 1/2 and she too had the same thing. All of the sudden at her well-child check they heard a murmur. This time we were referred to the cardiologist and they did an ultrasound of her heart along with the EKG. Again it was just a flow murmur. As far as the weight issue goes, you know her best and if she is eating well and active, then she is probably just going to be small. My 4 1/2 yr old is only 25 lbs. Good luck.

It sounds like your doctor is providing good care and ordering appropriate tests to follow up and find out what is going on. I don't think there's much to be worried about -- just see what you find out from the tests and ask your doctor where to go from there. I have a couple of family members with heart murmurs and I don't think it's that big a problem for them.

My youngest daughter was born with heart murmur but it healed when she was a year. Also had trouble with birth weight and such but all worked out in the end. We both later in life ended up with functional murmurs. Which long story short act up when you don't feel good or tired. Usually these work themselves out, but glad the dr. is being concerned to rule everything out. Good Luck!

One of my twin daughters had a heart murmur that was first heard at about 4 or 6 months; the pediatrician told us that if he still heard it after she turned 1, he would refer us for further study. She still had it at her 12-month check up, so we went in for an ultrasound on her heart. We were lucky enough that it was nothing serious, and it has since gone away, which is fairly normal.
The ultrasound was pretty easy - not at all scary. Madison wouldn't sit still for the procedure the first time around, so we had to come back a different time, and she was given Versed (a mild oral sedative which results in a drunk-acting baby). The technician ran the wand over her chest, the whole thing took about 15 minutes. Just so you have an idea of what to expect when you go... Try not to stress out, and wait for some further information from the doctors.
Good luck.

I have had 2 of my 4 children diagnosed with heart murmurs and doctors have often heard one within my own chest. So after great concern and much research, I found that a murmur is extremely common in childhood (as many as 50-75% will have an audible murmur at some point) and most will disappear at some point. With my youngest son, we were more concerned because after an EKG and other tests at the hospital when he was 12 months, we were told to bring him back at age 3 when his heart was more developed so they could better ascertain the condition. We did, and after all that wait and even more tests they explained the technical reasons why he had an odd-sounding murmur, but that it was of absolutely no concern. I hope you'll find the same--that it's an innocent sound!

My daughter was also in the lower 5th % on the growth charts for her first 3 years. Her heart murmur was found when she was 18 mo. old. we were petrified that something was wrong with our perfect little girl! We went to see a heart specialist who found that she had a beign (sp?) murmur. That just ment that one of her heart valves was not closing securely. The doctor said that it was nothing to worry about and that she would most likely grow out of it. My daughter just turned 7 and is a very healthy active girl. The murmur is still there but not as pronounced. And she has now grown into the 35th % for height and weight. A little investigation into our family history found many female relatives who never grew taller than 4'10". So after many anguishing days and nights, we know that she is fine and will be a normal healthy girl. I hope your sistuation will be the same. Our specialist said that this type of murmur is very common.
All the best to you!

My 15 year old, who is tall but has no heft to him went in last year for his sports physical and the doctor found a heart murmur, we had to have the echo done and they found he just has a "lazy" valve, for lack of better terminology, I found out that a lot of them heal themselves and offer no real problem, they just want to check that the blood is cirulating properly, Your daughter just might be small becuase that is how she is meant to be, my son had always been "underweight" and small for his age, at 15 he is getting tall 5'8 but only weight 130, he is skinny, but he is healthy, thats all we can ask for no matter what there size, having said that some of my other kids are on the chunky side, nature is what it is.

L.,

A scary thing indeed! My 3rd baby was born with a heart problem but wasn't caught until he was 2 weeks old. He had jaundice, reflux, and had lost more weight than he was supposed to in that time period. our doctor scheduled an appointment at Primary Children's Hospital in SLC, UT. We found out he had a Ventricular Septal Defect (7mm hole btween right and left ventricals) They said it was moderatly bad. He also had a hole in his right atrium, an enlarged heart, fluid on the lungs and an extra membrane growing in front of the main artery to the arotic spread. We were told that he would be monitored for 1 year to see if the hole closed by its self. In our case it did. His weight came back up, even though he was a little behind his peers in developmental stages. The fluid is gone and his heart is back to normal. We will have to go back when he turns 3yrs (next Year) to see if the membrane is growing which will cause a murmur if it constricts the blood flow. Have your doctor check for the membrane when you get the test done. We were lucky they noticed it. Its not common for them to find it in babies or toddlers. The more your baby grows that's when they find it.
I know its a scary thing, but know you have others who have experienced things like this. Its good to check it out to make sure there aren't other factors involved.

My daughter also had a heart mumor. She was sent to a pediatric cardiologist at the age 2 years. Come to find she had a hole in her heart. The pediatric cardiologist said if it didn't close up by the age 6 that she would have to have surgery. At age 6 she went to UofM motts hospital to have in closed. They have such technology out that alls they did was put a device to fill the hole by goin up through her leg and into the heart. It was a outpatient surgery. I would say that ur doctor is doing good by ordering the test. But also if something comes back i would ask to be refered to a pediatric cardiologist. They are wonderful.

I had the same thing happen to my daughter, I don't remember how old she was though. She too was in the 2% tile for height and weight, but ate a ton. They did a bunch of tests and told me to keep an eye on her in case she got "winded". the tests all can back fine, she never got "winded" and now there in no sign of a hear murmur, apperently she grew out of it, and now is in tyhe 96% tile at the age of 6.
I don't know how similar the situations are, but hopefully your daughter will just grow out of it too.
S.

L., take her to a pediatric cardiologist. I have a son who was born missing the right ventricle of his heart (hypoplastic right heart) it's very rare - and I'm not at all suggesting that your daughter has that. What I am saying is, to put your mind at ease; have all the labs drawn, the echo cardiogram (ultrasound), the EKG, and the exam all done. It's better to know if there is something wrong or if there isn't, and I can tell you that with the heart there are amazing things that they can do. I can also tell you that I have four children and my three other children have innocent murmurs that they developed as toddlers. But I felt better after I had them completely checked out. If you email me I can recommend a dr. depending on where you live. Good luck.

Many children have heart murmurs and will outgrow them over time, so try not to worry TOO much about it otherwise until you hear more.
My son is now 4, and has been under the 5% mark for weight since birth. I don't know what your daugther's growth rate has been since birth, but usually as long as they are growing and going up on the chart and not down, they are usually okay. Unless your doctor is showing concern over the weight/height, I wouldn't worry too much about that either. It could be that she'll have a growth spurt later, or could be genetic.

Hello.
When my daughter was about the same age, her doctor found through sonagrams and EEGs, many heart defects, and her prognosis was not good. She had 4 open heart surgeries and she is now 25 and doing well. Chances are it is just a murmur which is really nothing, but if it is more serious, surgery these days is so wonderful, she'll be just fine. My daughter was very small also, but she was blue in color, in fact her brother nicnamed her Smurfette, and it has stuck.
I hope your daughter's tests all turn out negative, but she will be fine and you will love her no matter what!
My prayers are with you.
L. from Montana