Information on Symptoms (e.g. heart murmurs)

Murmurs

A murmur is an abnormal noise heard by a doctor when listening to your child's heart. Normally we hear two soft noises for each heart beat and it sounds like 'lub-dub'. Occasionally when listening to a child's heart we hear an extra soft noise or a whoosing sound as if the blood is rushing quickly through a narrow space - this is called a murmur. These murmurs can be normal - especially when Children have a high temperature or are crying. Your doctor will evaluate this murmur with a full examination of the heart and lungs before deciding whether to simply see you again or refer you (often just for reassurance) to a paediatrician with expertise in Cardiology. If we also hear the murmur then a simple scan (echocardiogram) should help identify the cause or reassure us that it is just from an active heart.

Children's Heart Federation Leaflet

Click here to see the Children's Heart Federation leaflet on Murmurs or click here to go to the Children's Heart Federation website.