Pediatric cardiologist listening to a patient's heart.

Heart Murmur in Children

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The last thing you want to hear is that your child has a heart condition. Even a common one like a heart murmur.

A heart murmur is an extra sound — heard by your provider as a whooshing or swishing — in your child’s heart. The good news? Most heart murmurs in children don’t need treatment. But sometimes, structural problems, underlying health conditions and some kinds of infections causing this sound in your child’s heart may require medications or surgery. No matter what, thinking about the next steps can be stressful.

Cleveland Clinic Children’s dedicated team of pediatric cardiology providers understands this. And that’s why our team does what it takes to put your mind at ease. You can rest easier knowing your child is in excellent hands — with treatments and support focusing on their needs.

Why Choose Us for Your Child’s Heart Murmur Care?

Caring approach:

Cleveland Clinic Children’s understands how important it is for you to be involved closely with your child’s care. We’re here to support your child — and you — at every stage of their treatment. Our pediatric providers keep you in the loop and treat you like part of the team. Because, well, you are. Meet our team.

Collaborative care:

While many heart murmurs in kids go away over time, other heart conditions can also cause them. When your child needs lifelong heart care, we’ll make sure they get support at all ages. Our pediatric cardiology team will care for them through their teen years. Then, we’ll help them easily move to adult providers at Cleveland Clinic.

Patient-centered care:

Getting medical treatment can be stressful and emotional for kids. Depending on their age, they may not understand what’s going on. Our experienced, caring child life specialists are here to help them prepare for all their healthcare experiences, including tests, procedures, surgery and more.

Trusted experts:

Cleveland Clinic Children’s has an outstanding reputation for treating even the most complex heart conditions in children. Your child’s pediatric cardiology team works closely with pediatric providers from other specialties as needed. This lets us offer the most personalized care and the best possible results.

Virtual visits:

Feeling pressed for time? Struggling to get the kids in the car to go to medical appointments? Not all of them need to be in person. Our virtual visits let you connect one-on-one with your child’s provider without leaving home. They’re perfect for quick check-ins.

National recognition:

Cleveland Clinic Children’s is a trusted healthcare leader. We’re recognized throughout the U.S. for our expertise and care.

Diagnosing Your Child’s Heart Murmur at Cleveland Clinic Children’s

Heart murmurs happen when blood moves abnormally over the heart valves. This causes a swishing or whooshing sound. When blood flows faster than normal, it can cause an innocent heart murmur.

Innocent heart murmurs are common in kids, particularly during growth spurts. Exercise can also trigger one. Newborn babies may also have an innocent heart murmur for a few days after birth. Eventually, many innocent heart murmurs go away. But if they don’t, it doesn’t mean your child has serious heart problems.

Not all heart murmurs are innocent. Some may come from conditions like:

Low red blood cell count (anemia)
Congenital (born with) heart conditions
Heart infections (endocarditis)
Heart tumors
Heart valve disease
Overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism)
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Many heart murmurs don’t cause symptoms. They may only show up during a routine checkup. But sometimes, you may notice your child has bluish skin and breathing problems. They may develop heart palpitations or a cough that won’t go away. They may also experience fainting (syncope) and weakness.

While many heart murmurs aren’t serious, you’ll still want to get signs of one checked out by experts specializing in children’s heart care.

What to expect at your child’s first visit

When you come to your child’s appointment, you’ll spend time talking with their provider. They’ll ask about any symptoms or if your child’s primary care provider (PCP) noticed it during a checkup.

They’ll then listen to your child’s heart with a stethoscope to confirm the diagnosis. They’ll look for unusual heartbeat sounds, pitch, rhythm, timing and volume. They may also ask your child to sit in different positions or lie down. If they hear a murmur, they’ll order more tests to take a closer look at your child’s heart and how well it works. Those tests may include some or all of the following:

Meet Our Heart Murmurs in Children Team

When you bring your child to Cleveland Clinic Children’s for treatment, you can count on the fact they’re in the best hands. Our providers make sure your little one stays at the center of all we do. Our team-based approach to care is built around this philosophy. Your child’s heart murmur team may include:

Pediatric cardiologists
Pediatricians
Pediatric electrophysiologists
Pediatric cardiac surgeons
Pediatric radiologists
Child life specialists

Providers Who Treat Heart Murmurs

Locations

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Treating Your Child’s Heart Murmur at Cleveland Clinic Children’s

Most heart murmurs in children are innocent ones. These rarely require treatment and usually go away on their own. They also won’t typically affect your child’s activities.

If we discover a more serious condition is causing your child’s heart murmur, we’ll build a treatment plan. Our team may prescribe medications to treat these conditions. If the problems are with the valves or other parts of their heart, your child may need surgery. Their care team will find the right treatment plan if your child needs one.

Taking the Next Step

When you hear your child has a heart murmur, it’s easy to worry about what’s next. But you can take a deep breath because most heart murmurs in children aren’t serious and go away eventually. Our cardiology team is here to help you and your child understand their condition and find the right treatment plan — if needed. You can count on us to give both of you the reassurance you need.