Question about a heart murmur in a child

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Question:

My son is 2 years old and has a slight heart murmur. Should I be concerned about it with him?

Answer by Dr. Christopher Wolfram (Cardiology Associates of Green Bay)

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Most soft murmurs in young children are innocent and benign, caused by somewhat turbulent blood flow in the small great vessels around the heart.  Some murmurs may represent a true problem such as a leaky or narrowed heart valve or abnormal communication between the right and left side of the heart. 

If an experienced physician listens to the murmur and feels that it is highly likely to be benign, no further evaluation is necessary.  If there is some concern that this may be a sign of something wrong with the heart and echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart) can be obtained to further evaluate this.

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