What Creates the Dub Heart Sound in Babies

​​​​​By: Juan Villafañe Jr., Physician, FAAP & S. Kristen Sexson Tejtel, Physician, PhD, FAAP

​When doctors listen to a kid's heart, what they usually hear is a simple rhythm: "lub-dub, lub-dub, lub-dub..." Sometimes, they'll hear an extra audio in between the lub and the dub. That extra sound is called a heart murmur.

Although the proper noun is unsettling, heart murmurs are very common in children. Usually, they are normal sounds made equally the blood is pumped through the heart chambers, valves and arteries--similar a whooshing or swishing noise. Rarely, they may need to be checked by a specialist to dominion out any problems.

What kind of murmur is it?

There are 2 kinds of heart murmurs: innocent murmurs and pathologic murmurs. The doctor will listen to the murmur'southward loudness, timing and how long it lasts in the cardiac bicycle, ​​which is the end of one heartbeat to the start of the next. Sometimes, it​​ is hard to tell the difference betwixt the two kinds of murmurs just by listening. Some heart abnormalities may non produce a murmur at all. In those cases, an echocardiogram may be helpful.

If your doctor has a question about your child's middle murmur, they may refer you to a pediatric cardiologist. Pediatric cardiologists take special training to look for heart problems that impact children.

Innocent murmurs (functional murmurs)

Innocent murmurs are harmless, but common. Over ii-thirds of school-historic period children may have an innocent murmur. They may become louder if a child is excited, stressed, or ill. Many disappear as the child grows, although some do last into adulthood. Your doctor can detect these murmurs by simply listening to your child's heart with a stethoscope.

Children with innocent eye murmurs do non accept a related heart problem. They do not demand whatsoever medical treatment, surgery, sports restrictions, or follow-upward with a pediatric cardiologist.

Even when pediatricians believe a child's murmur is innocent, however, they may still recommend a second stance from a pediatric cardiologist to exist certain. A referral to a pediatric cardiologist does not mean that the murmur is aberrant. Pediatricians are more likely to refer an infant with a centre murmur that occurs during the offset six months of life.

Pathologic murmurs

Rarely, a murmur can point a trouble with the heart. This is called a pathologic murmur. Pathologic murmurs are much rarer and occur in less than ane% of the population. Sometimes, they may exist related to built centre defect that a baby was born with.

Why does it audio like that?

Pathologic murmurs are usually loud and may include an extra sound called a click, which is heard with a stethoscope.

Causes of pathologic murmurs may include:

• aberrant connections between the right and left centre chambers.

• aberrant connections betwixt the major blood vessels coming from the heart.

• blood that flows through a thickened or leaky middle valve.

Sometimes, the murmur gets louder when the patient changes position, such every bit standing up. Certain conditions are linked to pathologic murmurs, including:

• Mitral valve prolapse with regurgitation: The mitral valve moves in an abnormal mode and leaks.

• Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy : An abnormal thickening of the centre.

Pathologic murmurs often are not life-threatening

While not normal, pathologic murmurs often are not life-threatening. They commonly are heard when a child has a minor heart defect. Simply, if a child has a heart murmur and too develops symptoms such as shortness of breath, trouble eating or gaining weight, sweating while eating, or cyanosis (a blue tint to lips and peel), information technology could be a more than serious status that needs medical attention right away.

Your child'south pediatric cardiologist may exercise some testing, using an electrocardiogram and an echocardiogram, to confirm any eye abnormality.

Conditions that may be linked with pathologic center murmurs

Certain syndromes or genetic conditions may be associated with a cardiac abnormality related to centre murmurs. These include:

• Downward syndrome. All children with Down syndrome should accept a cardiac evaluation. Many of these patients may have a simple or more complex centre defect.

• Patent ductus arteriosus. Premature infants may take this condition. It occurs when a blood vessel (ductus arteriosus) does not close. This causes claret to circulate abnormally between the two major arteries nigh the heart. It is frequently constitute shortly after nascence and tin can exist confirmed by echocardiography.

Practise murmurs need treatment?

Innocent murmurs do not require handling. If your child has a pathologic murmur, your pediatrician and pediatric cardiologist will talk with you about whether treatment is needed. Depending on the type of pathologic murmur your child has, they may demand medication and follow-upward care, or referral to a pediatric center surgeon.

More Information

• HealthyChildren.org: Hear​t

About Dr. Villafane:

Juan Villafane, Md, FAAP, is a pediatric cardiologist. Inside the American Academy of Pediatrics, Dr. Villafane is a member of the Section on Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery Publications and Communications Commission.​​

About Dr. Sexson Tejtel

Due south. Kristen Sexson Tejtel, MD, PhD, MPH, FAAP, is a pediatric cardiologist with involvement in cardiac imaging and acquired heart disease in children. Within the American University of Pediatrics, Dr. Sexson Tejtel is a member of the Section on Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery​Publications and Communications Committee.

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The information contained on this Spider web site should non be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician. There may be variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on private facts and circumstances.

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Source: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/heart/Pages/Heart-Murmur.aspx

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