Can an innocent heart murmur change or become more serious when child gets older...

[hazeyjane]

Ds is 2.3, he has global developmental delay, low muscle tone and other medical issues, including recurring chest infections, he is being tested for genetic causes for his issues.

When he was born he was in SCBU with respiratory distress syndrome, and on cpap. The paeds detected a heart murmur, but it was deemed innocent.

recently I have been concerned about a number of things - the chest infections, 2 slight blue lines that seem to come out from the corners of his mouth when he sleeps, he has very transluscent skin with very visible veins, his feet and ankles sometimes swell up, and sometimes lose all their colour, and he sometimes does an odd panting breathing when he sleeps. I have mentioned all these things at some point in the past to his paed, but they seem to have been lost a bit in other issues that have taken over.

The syndrome he is being tested for at the moment, has a high incidence of heart problems, so i will reiiterate my concerns at his next appointment, but i just wondered of anyone had a child that had an innocent murmur, which changed or became something more to worry about or a sign of other problems?

Sorry if this is a bit of a roundabout post!!

You have my sympathy - it must be very worrying to have such a list of medical problems. I might be able to offer some reassurance about a couple of the symptoms you've noticed which I have had since birth and which have caused no problems at all.

I have a very esily detectable innocent heart murmur, which was picked up early on. My mother was told that they are relatively common and "normal" for some people. I've certainly had no problems at all related to it.

I also had very visible veins, to the extent that I'm told that, as a baby and toddler, it looked as though I'd been scribbled on with biro. They're still more visible than in most people, but it has become less pronounced as I've aged. My DS1 has exactly the same, including the visible veins at the side of his mouth. The medical advice that was given in respect of my veins (and by a doctor friend re my son's) is that it's not at all sinister.

I'm not a medical expert and know nothing about the other issues you've mentioned, but I hope my experience might offer some reassurance.

Don't want to worry you but my younger brother had an 'innocent' heart murmur from birth which doctors always said was not an issue until he was eleven. He started getting short of breath and wasn't growing much. They discovered a valve in his heart was faulty and his heart was enlarged to overcompensate. He needed open heart surgery and valve was swapped with one from an artery which was replaced with a pigs valve.

On the upside he is now 25 and healthy. He still has six monthly checks and will need monitoring rest of life with potentially more surgery but he looks the picture of health.

Just make sure you get it checked x

Get it checked, by more than one person if the first says it's ok. My daughter had a 'minor murmur that would cause no problems', according to the hospital paediatrician. I got her checked by someone else 6 months later when she wasn't thriving and had a clear blue-ish tinge around her mouth. The paediatric heart specialist was furious and she had surgery on a dodgy valve within the week. She has regular check ups, but touch wood, all good so far.
If you think something's up, keep pushing to see a specialist.

Get it checked, by more than one person if the first says it's ok. My daughter had a 'minor murmur that would cause no problems', according to the hospital paediatrician. I got her checked by someone else 6 months later when she wasn't thriving and had a clear blue-ish tinge around her mouth. The paediatric heart specialist was furious and she had surgery on a dodgy valve within the week. She has regular check ups, but touch wood, all good so far.
If you think something's up, keep pushing to see a specialist.

hazeyjane - how did they come to the conclusion that it was innocent?

If it was through an echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart) then I wouldn't be overly concerned. If someone just listened and did an ECG then I would insist that it's checked further. An innocent murmur is just noisy blood movement through an otherwise normally structured heart but the only way to really confirm that the heart is normally structured is by echo.

And there is a quite simple heart defect that is common in prem babies and that sometimes resolves by itself and sometimes doesn't.

My daughter (4) has a murmur and was given a echocardiogram and I was told it was innocent but I still worry about it. Her lips often go blue and she is a small child even thought quite big at birth. My son (6) has low muscle tone and gdd too and has only just been found to have swallowing difficulties. The main risk factor with this is chest infections.

my daughter was born with a hole in her heart, detected at 8 weeks. She was failing to thrive, not putting weight on and was on supplements for a year and a half. She had an echocardiagram for diagnosis and is now almost 9 and the hole has closed but she still has a 'flow mumur' I worry all the time about it and although they say its okay and not to worry I still wont let her to any combat sports or martial arts etc or play certain instruments as I don't want her to get too out of breath or risk her getting it in the chest. 'YOU HEAR TOO MANY STORIES OF KIDS DYING SUDDENLY OF 'UNDERLYING HEART CONDITIONS'
Oops didnt mean capitals lol,

DS1 had a faint murmur at birth that disappeared by age 5 - which is apperently quite common.

sorry if my post alarms people, especially as its in capitals. But, I think you cant be too careful where the heart isn concerned. Also I meant, I dont let her do martial arts or combat sport because I dont want her to get HIT in the chest, maybe I am being neurotic :-S