Anyone dealing with a heart murmur? Update

[smallestangel]

The doctor heard one with my DS and referred us to a cardiologist. We're headed next week. She said she wasn't overly concerned but it did sound louder than she would have liked. I like that she referred us just to be safe (it was pretty much the only thing I liked about her but that's another post).

Anyway, I'm afraid to google "heart murmurs in children" for I am really good at getting myself worked up. DH has banned me from webmd. Does anyone's child have a murmer? Care to share your story?

Doc said he'll probably have an echo done. What's that like?

As soon as she mentioned it I had an awful flash of all those young men that have collapsed playing sports and died. :( Ever since I get a little pang whenever he starts running around like my little wild man.

Thanks!
*************************
Update:

Thanks for your replies. We went to Children's Hospital and saw the cardiologist Friday.

Jacob had an EKG and an exam. The doc said that he has NO murmur, innocent or otherwise. He said that when they're this small (he'll be two in March), the walls of their hearts are very thin. There's some turbulence when the blood is pumping and it can sound as if there's a murmur. That's all the ped heard.

JD has a "totally healthy heart". No worries or precautions are needed!

*Whew*

Thanks again.

Amanda



Amanda

[boogiemom]

My son's both have a heart murmur. My youngest is too young to have done the tests. We took my oldest to a cardiologist a year or so ago. He's fine. It's an "innocent" murmur and it means nothing really. It's a genetic thing in our case as my husband's mother's family has it.

Don't worry. Hopefully you'll get the same news.

Good Luck!

[bensmom]

I have a heart murmur. My mom thinks I had it as a child, but it was minor and nothing was ever done. In college, a new doctor had me get an echo. The echo was no big deal - it's basically an ultrasound of the heart. I think it really depends though on the results of the echo in terms of whether it's a huge issue in kids.

Sorry I'm probably not much help, but just wanted to comment that it is not necessarily a big deal.

Ilana

CPS Tech and mom

[MrsZaz]

Our youngest son was diagnosed with one -- the day he was to be discharged from the NICU. The pediatric cardiologist had to be called before he could be discharged. His comment was 'wow - someone really has good ears because it is that faint'. We have had 3 ekg's starting when he was two weeks old and it has disappeared. Being a preemie, his lungs weren't fully developed so the Dr. may have been hearing the blood puching through the veins. He is fine now - Dr. told us no worries. He needs to go back when he is 3 (he is 15 months) only because they want to check him one more time before he goes to a Dentist.
Hope everything works out well - stay away from WebMD. You'll only make yourself crazy....been there...done that!

Colleen

[JTsMom]

Don't freak out- it's probably nothing, and there will probably not be anything you have to do about it. DS has a serious heart condition, and has had tons of echos done. Like the pp said, it's just an ultrasound, no biggie. If it does turn out to be an innocent murmur, it will NOT have any effect on his health, aside from him needing antibiotics before certain medical treatments and dental visits. If, God forbid, it's something more, the vast majority of heart problems are fixable. Those kids who die playing sports usually have an UNDIAGNOSED condition. The important thing is to catch a problem if there is one, so you're in good shape. Like I said though, don't freak out, and don't google anything! LOL

BTW, they'll also probably do an ekg, which is also no biggie. They put some stickers on the chest, clip on wires, and push a button. Sometimes they have to do it a couple times to get a good reading, so don't let that scare you either. Nothing at the cardiologists office hurts, so it's not as traumatic as well baby visits are. If you have any questions, let me know. Best of luck!

Lori
Mom to Jason
5-20-05

[icunurse]

I remember reading something in the newspaper recently about "innocent murmurs" and it basically said the same as this article clip:

In children, the vast majority of heart murmurs arise from no known cause—and, fortunately, have no medical significance. These benign murmurs are known as innocent murmurs, and doctors estimate that up to 70 percent of active, healthy children develop them at some time. Furthermore, long-term studies of people who had such murmurs during childhood indicate that they are not associated with an increased risk of adult heart disease or any other lasting complications.
The vast majority of murmurs detected in childhood disappear by the time the child is ten to 14 years old. In about ten percent of cases, an innocent murmur persists into adulthood. Even in an adult, however, such a murmur does not indicate serious disease

I have a murmur (diagnosed as an adult) and get some simple tests every few years to keep an eye on everything. I am not restricted from any activity and just take antibiotics before dental procedures or surgery.

Traci
~Connor's Mom 02/2004~
Agency paperwork completed - waiting for #2!

[smallestangel]

Thanks for the replies guys. It always really helps to hear from you. :)

We have a lot of heart problems in my family (one of my uncles even had a heart transplant when I was young). Much different than a heart murmur but I've seen so much.

[tarabenet]

Don't let it panic you. They are very common. I know some can be severe, but that is quite rare.

I have one, that wasn't even discovered until I had oral surgery in college. Here is what it means for me: I take antibiotics an hour before any dental work. Yep, that is it. Even my OB tells me not to worry -- she has one too! And the pre-medicating for tooth cleaning and filling and stuff? That is purely a precaution.

Even should it be a fairly serious one, my understanding is that a lot of them close up on their own, or at least mostly close up. And if it were a truly serious one, I'll bet you'd have had inicators long before now. I'm sure your little wild man will not be slowed down a bit -- even to sit still at the doc's office LOL!

Hugs. And lots and lots of "no worries" vibes coming your way.

[HIU8]

I have a heart murmor that was discovered by a gyn on my first visit at the age of around 12 or so. I assume no one heard it or paid attention to it when I was a small child. Basically, one of my valves doesn't close all the way and some blood goes backward instead of being pumped out. Anyway, what it has meant for me is that I need to take penicillin when I have surgery or my teeth cleaned; my resting heart rate is a bit lower than normal and sometimes I get tachycardia (very fast racing beat) that stops when I forcefully cough.

HTH
Heather
DS 11/27/04 My little one is 1 year 5 days old!!

[octmom]

I have a murmur too and haven't had real problems. I do take antibiotics before dental appointments. That's about it. I've also had tachycardia issues, but I have never been told that there was a connection to the murmur, though it doesn't surprise me.

Jerilyn
DS, Sean 10/03
expecting #2! EDD April 1, 2006, but anticipating a C/S in March
Just found out-- IT'S A GIRL!!! :)

"Baby makes days shorter, nights longer, home happier, and love stronger."

[jamsmu]

yup...ds2, 3 months has been diagnosed with one. We're a really atheletic family, so i'm right there with you on the terrifying vision... i cried as soon as i heard the news. we'll see a specialist around 6 months. The doctors aren't too concerned, but keeping an eye on it. :(

[nd93]

I had one as a child. I used to have to go to Children's hospital to get it checked out every so often. I think I stopped going when I was around 7. As an adult, no doctor has ever been able to find it, so it probably resolved itself. I never had any issues regarding being limited in what I could do or anything. I have very vague recollections of it. So it can be nothing!

[spanannie]

Zach has a heart murmur. The ped. didn't detect it until age 2. He could only hear it if Zach was lying down. We were referred to a cardiologist for it, and she said it is a tiny VSD (tear in the heart). She said that it would never affect him in sports, being active, etc. The only change it would make in his life would be that he'd have to pre-med with antibiotics prior to dental work or surgical procedures. The cardio. thinks that the hole in the heart will close, as this type usually does. We haven't been back yet to find that out, but will go for a revisit soon. I think this is very common, and would not worry yourself until you have seen the cardio.

[brittone2]

No one ever mentioned that I had one, and I ran cross country and track year round on a very competitive level for 2 years prior to a physical at my high school where they diagnosed it. I had to be cleared by our regular ped, who said it was an "innocent" murmur and it was asymptomatic otherwise for me. I was a very serious runner and it never caused me any problems whatsoever. My ped cleared me for sports without any hesitation.

DS's discharge sheet from the hospital notes a "slight murmur" that was to be followed, but no one has ever mentioned it since.

I think they can be totally asymptomatic and it won't create any lifestyle changes whatsoever for many kids unless they are one of the more rare but signficant ones. Stay away from WebMD....I do that stuff to myself all of the time and not much good ever comes out of it...just lots of unnecessary worry.

Hugs mama.

[smallestangel]

moved to original post

[octmom]

That's great! I'm glad you got such good news!

Jerilyn
DS, Sean 10/03
expecting #2! EDD April 1, 2006, but anticipating a C/S in March
Just found out-- IT'S A GIRL!!! :)

"Baby makes days shorter, nights longer, home happier, and love stronger."

[brittone2]

Thanks for the update, and I'm soooo glad you got such great news at your appt!! That's a holiday gift in and of itself :)

I hope you are all breathing a big sigh of relief!!!!

[smallestangel]

Oh yes. :) I am sooo relieved! I was super tense the whole way there and as we made our way to cardiology. But it obviously put things into perspective walking around the hospital. We have to go there to see the allergist too. It just makes me so sad to see the little ones with IVs or in wagons & wheelchairs. I always wish I could cure them all. It makes me just want to hold Jacob so tightly.

You should have seen him in his little hospital gown. He wanted none of it!


Amanda :)

[COElizabeth]

That's wonderful news, Amanda!

Elizabeth, Mom to James, 9-20-02
and Charlotte, 11-04-04

[lmintzer]

Amanda,
I'm glad to hear that it turned out to be nothing. Hopefully, Jacob wasn't too upset by the whole process.

[HannaAddict]

That is great news and I bet a load off of your mind! So glad that it turned out to be nothing to worry about, and also glad that your ped had it checked out.

Kimberly