It is not unheard for children to be born with heart murmurs. In most cases, these murmurs cause no ill-effects and resolve on their own. To ensure your child’s health, doctors can perform in-depth testing and exams if they believe the issue stems from a more serious medical condition or cause.
The heart has four chambers, and each chamber has a valve to ensure blood flows in the proper direction. Heartbeats occur as the valves close, but heart murmurs are caused by something else. Causes can include:
In the event of heart murmurs in a newborn, doctors will evaluate the child to determine if there is an underlying cause.
Harmless heart murmurs are quite common in newborns. When detected, medical staff will consider the following:
Harmless heart murmurs often resolve as the baby’s heart grows and develops.
On their own, heart murmurs do not cause any major health problems. If your child has a heart murmur that is accompanied by one or more of the following, it could signal a more serious underlying issue:
Doctors can also assign grades to heart murmurs, which range from 1 to 6 and indicate the loudness of the murmur.
It is important for parents to monitor their child closely if they exhibit other physical effects. A problematic heart murmur can also cause the following symptoms:
If any of these signs are evident in a baby or child, schedule an appointment with a pediatrician immediately or seek emergency medical attention if the child appears to be in serious distress.