My sister, Monica, called me last week shaken and in tears. Monica had just learned that her 5-year old son, Zachary (aka Buddy), had a heart murmur. It was not an easy conversation for Monica or me.

After seeing what my [1] congenital bicuspid aortic valve had put me through, Monica was concerned that Buddy might need heart valve surgery. Like many caregivers, Monica was quick to assume the worst case scenario. For that reason, I spent the next thirty minutes consoling her and sharing the facts about heart murmurs and children.

Here is a picture of Buddy (my nephew) with his Grandpa Jerry (my dad):

After we discussed the facts about heart murmurs in children, Monica felt better. That said, I thought you might like to know some of the basic facts about children with heart murmurs. As you will read below, most children DO NOT require heart valve replacement or heart valve repair surgery throughout their lives.

What is a heart murmur?

A heart murmur is just a noise that the blood makes as it flows through the heart. It’s like the noise water makes when it flows through a hose. Many healthy people have heart murmurs. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, about 80 percent of all children have a heart murmur at some time.

What is a “normal” heart murmur?

Most heart murmurs don’t mean there is anything wrong. Your doctor may call these murmurs “innocent” or “functional.” “Normal” is another word to describe these murmurs. A normal murmur is just a noise caused by blood flowing through a normal heart.

A normal murmur can get louder when the blood flows faster through the heart. For example, when the body’s temperature goes up, the blood flows faster. Doctors often hear heart murmurs when they check children who have a fever. Many normal murmurs become hard to hear as children grow older. Some murmurs just go away.

What does it mean if my child has a normal heart murmur?

If your child has a normal heart murmur, he or she can run, jump and play, with no limits on activity. Your child doesn’t need to take any medicine or be careful in any special way.

When is a heart murmur the sign of a problem?

Sometimes a heart problem causes a murmur. For example:

• The heart may have a hole in it.
• [2] A heart valve may leak.
• A heart valve may not open all the way ([3] aortic valve stenosis).

If your doctor thinks that your child might have one of these heart problems, you may be asked to take your child to a pediatric cardiologist. This is a kind of doctor who has spent extra time learning about children’s hearts. The cardiologist will examine your child and might do tests to find out if there is a problem.

As shown above, heart murmurs are very common in healthy children with normal hearts. If you have any questions about your child’s heart murmur, talk to your family doctor.

Keep on tickin!

[4] The Patient’s Guide To Heart Valve Surgery, a unique book which integrates the clinical facts of heart valve surgery with the personal experiences of an actual heart valve surgery patient.