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General health

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Original poster

heart murmur at 8 weeks

25 replies

lemonice · 14/06/2004 17:02

Just heard from dp that dd was told by paed this afternoon that dgs has a heart murmur. Does anybody know anything/experience of it? it was his 6 week check (but he is 8 weeks)

OP posts:

expatkat · 14/06/2004 17:12

Usually benign but sometimes not. It would depend on how loud and/or localized it sounded. Is dgs getting sent on to a specialist or is it just being watched? If he's being sent on to a specialist it may be that the paed feels he doesn't have the cardiac knowledge to make a diagnosis of its severity. Often, though, they'll know instantly if it's the benign kind.

But lots of babies have heart murmurs (my ds has one sometimes) and it often or even usually has no clinical significance.

But there are mumsnetters on here whose kids have had serious heart problems, so maybe they'll have info on the more serious kinds of heart murmurs.

Original poster

lemonice · 14/06/2004 17:15

I think dd was told not to worry and that dgs would have a further appointment.

OP posts:

luckymum · 14/06/2004 17:15

Hi lemonice - lots of children have early murmurs, many are what they call 'innocent' and are just the sounds of the blood flowing through an otherwise normal heart. Up to 25% of children have a murmur at one time or another, so try not to worry yet.

Is he well otherwise and has he been referred for further tests?

luckymum · 14/06/2004 17:18

Sorry - sent that before I'd finished. Often babies with murmurs who do have heart problems are 'failing to thrive' or generally not doing as well as they should.

luckymum · 14/06/2004 17:27

Some info here

HTH

twiglett · 14/06/2004 17:33

message withdrawn

lou33 · 14/06/2004 17:38

Dd1 had a heart murmur and 2 heart defects when she was born, which were picked up at 3 days old and confirmed at 10 days. Her defects are now resolved, but she does still have a slight murmur aged 12. It has never caused her any problems. Every few years up until aged 9 they gave her a scan just to make sure, but they have left her alone since then.

Aero · 14/06/2004 17:38

Hi lemonice
My ds1 also had a heart murmur which was picked up at his eight week check and we were also obviously quite concerned. The technical term for his is a ventricular septal defect (VSD). The hole in his heart was very small and they told us at the time it would either close by itself by the time he was five or would stay the same in relation to his growth. Either way, it was not a serious complaint and just needed regular checks and 'echo' scans. By the time we had our last check up, it could barely be heard and he has now been discharged - a perfectly healthy six year old. The only thing we did have to do was to let the dentist know about it as he may have needed antibiotics after dental treatment.(The parents should be given a card regarding the murmur to show the dentist). Can't remember the reason, though I think something from the mouth can travel to the area and occasionaly cause problems. Antibiotics are prescribed as a preventative action for this. I realise that there are lots of children born with serious heart problems, but if they have been told not to worry, then it's probably nothing major. Heart murmurs are very common and most heal by themselves over time. HTH

misdee · 14/06/2004 18:05

dd2 has a heart murmur (soft systolic) but we were referred to cardiologist on the basis of dh heart problems. they did an echo and gave her a clean bill of health. the only problem she may have later in life is with dental treatments or something.

JJ · 14/06/2004 18:24

My eldest had a heart murmur. It was innocent. He had it for a few years and it's gone now (he's 6).

The paed knew right away it was innocent (diagnosed a few weeks old, iirc) and told me not to worry. Hope it's the same for you.

bunny2 · 14/06/2004 19:05

Ds had one and I was terrified. Anything to do with the heart sounds so serious. Anyway, it turned out to be nothing to worry about, they did a few tests, decided he was fine and discharged him. Get as much info as you can from your paed but try not to worry, they are very common and usually harmless.

nightowl · 15/06/2004 04:57

ds has a heart murmur from very early on. he went for 6 month checks (i think) until earlier this year when (age 6) they said he was now old enough for a heart scan. i feel a lot better now knowing exactly what it is. the specialist was very good at explaining it to me in a "non medical way" that i would understand. basically he said its a very common problem in children and is not hereditary or anything that i could have caused when pregnant (which i did worry about). its a valve that is slightly...i surpose you could say deformed in ds's case. a cross section should look like a Y in a circle, three parts but ds only has two parts as two are joined together IYSWIM? apparently causing slight backwards bloodflow...a "leak" if you like. i asked for worse case scenario and he said that it doesnt look like it should get any worse but he will never grow out of it either. if it did, medication and failing that surgery. but he did stress that its very common and probably wont ever require treatment, a heart scan every year. (we went to Birmingham childrens hospital for this). as said before, ds has a card that he must show all dentists and has to have antibiotics before or during any surgery, they also stressed the importance of brushing his teeth really well (why im not quite sure, and your dgs obviously doesnt have to worry about that yet!) he also said to treat him like any other child and not to stop him from doing anything/that there is nothing to watch out for. it is very frightening but if you gather as much info as you can you will feel better, and all problems are different anyway. my friend had one that just disappeard eventually, she was signed off when she was 13.

expatkat · 15/06/2004 08:10

nightowl, was that valve deformity "mitral valve prolapse?"

Ghosty · 15/06/2004 08:13

DS had a murmur at his 6 week check ... the doctor said it was very very common in young babies ... can't remember exactly what he said but what Luckymum said rings a bell ...
It had gone by the time he had a medical for our emigration to NZ when he was 2.

musica · 15/06/2004 08:34

My brother had a heart murmur at 8 weeks that just disappeared of its own accord. I think tehy are quite common. Hope it clears up!

Original poster

lemonice · 15/06/2004 10:15

Only have use of the computer in the daytime....so it looks a bit ignorant not to come back, sorry.

Thanks for the helpful replies I have printed off the sheet from luckymum to show dd. Strangely nobody I've known seems to have had this problem but maybe when it's benign you would only mention it if the topic came up.

Babysat last night and dd said that he has an appointment for a heart scan in three weeks. She wasn't given any information - so it's good to hear from everyone to pass on to her.

OP posts:

nightowl · 15/06/2004 23:37

sorry expatkat i couldnt say for sure what its medical term was but that does look familiar. they actually thought it was something else until they did the scan so im not quite sure now. that was just the explaination they gave me (with pictures!) im not too good at understanding these things!

Wallace · 16/06/2004 14:14

nightowl - is it bicuspid aortic valve?

Dd was born with a heart murmur. Hers turned out to be a VSD (hole in heart) , which ended up needing open heart surgery.
your dgs has hopefully got and innocent murmur. Good luck for his echo.

jampot · 16/06/2004 14:20

I have minor mitral valve prolapse which was diagnosed in 1990 - I had a couple of years worth of check ups, a heart scan and was discharged after my dd was born in 1993. No medication or follow ups and it can't be heard through a normal stethoscope..

luckymum · 16/07/2004 10:29

Lemonice - how did it go? Good news I hope.

Original poster

lemonice · 16/07/2004 10:39

Thank you for asking, Luckymum. He was supposed to have the echo last Friday but the hospital cancelled it half an hour before hand so he is waiting for a new appointment.

OP posts:

luckymum · 16/07/2004 11:40

Oh how awful for you all to be cancelled at such short notice. Keep us posted.

Wallace · 21/08/2004 20:45

Any news yet?

Original poster

lemonice · 23/08/2004 13:19

He has happily been given the all clear now. And is an extremely cheerful little baby!

Thank you for your support.

OP posts:

luckymum · 23/08/2004 14:41

Briliant news lemonice

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