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A heart murmur is not a medical problem and can be completely normal for a newborn. However, in some cases, it can be an indicator of valvular heart disease that the child may have. The information in the article below will help you better understand how to recognize heart murmurs in babies and some ways to treat them.
1. Is the heart murmur normal?
As the baby's blood moves through the chambers, valves and major vessels of the heart, it makes a sound. If it makes an extra sound, it's called a heart murmur.
A heart murmur does not mean the child has a weak heart or any other health problem. It happens in almost all children, at one time or another. Some experts estimate that a heart murmur can be heard at some point in 90% of children 4 to 7 years of age with a normal heart.
Depending on the type of blow it can be a whisper, the noise can be vibrating, rumbling, humming, reverberating, gurgling or even sounding like music. Most of these noises are diagnosed as harmless heart murmurs. Sometimes the noise is caused by blood flowing faster or in larger amounts than usual through the heart and pulse. That can happen when a child has a fever, or it can be caused by anemia or an overactive thyroid.
Noise can also be from a structure in the body that does not affect the heart's activity. In that case, the sound may fade as the baby's body grows and the chest wall thickens. Heart murmurs in childhood do not require treatment and often go away on their own, although some people have this murmur for life.
Khi trẻ bị sốt, tiếng thổi tim sẽ ồn hơn
2. How will a heart murmur be assessed?
To assess whether a heart murmur is normal or requires further observation, the doctor will check the child's pulse and blood pressure, and listen to the child's heart with a stethoscope carefully. To get enough evidence, the doctor will try to determine where in the heart the murmur is occurring, when during the heartbeat cycle, what type of noise it is, how loud it is, and whether it changes when the child changes position. If your doctor has diagnosed a murmur as normal, you can rest assured that there is nothing to worry about. If your doctor is unsure or worried, you may be referred to a Pediatric Cardiologist. The doctor may order tests such as a chest X-ray, an echocardiogram (which uses sound waves to scan and create pictures of the heart), or an electrocardiogram (which records the electrical activity of the heart). ).
If your baby is an infant and has a heart murmur, the doctor will try to determine if it is transitional, i.e. the child's heart is changing due to a change in the environment from intrauterine to ectopic. You may be referred to a pediatric cardiologist, or if it seems benign, the doctor may monitor your child's heart murmur for several months to see if it goes away over time.
Bác sĩ cần theo dõi tiếng thổi tim cua trẻ trong một thời gian để có kết quả chẩn đoán chính xác
3. What if the baby's heart murmur is not normal?
A diagnosis of an "abnormal", "organic" or "non-normal" murmur means that the child's heart may have a structural abnormality that requires medical attention. It could be a congenital heart defect, meaning something did not develop normally before birth, such as a narrow or leaky heart valve, a narrow artery, or even a hole in the heart.
If a problem is detected, treatment will be done which may include medication to control the heart rate or surgery to correct a structural defect. Many small structural defects do not require treatment because they do not affect how the heart works.
Tiếng thổi tim của trẻ không bình thường có thể là dấu hiệu của bệnh tim bẩm sinh
4. Children's hearts sometimes beat very fast. Is this normal?
Maybe it's a normal phenomenon. An infant's resting heart rate is about 130 beats per minute, while a child's normal heart rate is around 80 to 100 and an adult's is 70 to 90. And an infant or child's heart rate can be variable. increase to 160 beats per minute or more when the baby is crying or has a fever.
Certain medications, including the asthma drug albuterol and the decongestant used in cold and allergy remedies, can increase heart rate. If you are concerned about this, call your pediatrician and if your child is in pain or discomfort after taking any medicine, call the doctor or take the child to the emergency room as soon as possible.
You should not worry if your child's heart seems to be pounding or out of rhythm. Small changes in heart rate and rhythm are common and usually harmless. However, to be sure, you should mention this issue with your pediatrician for timely advice and examination.
Heart murmurs are mostly benign murmurs, common in children and can go away on their own as adults. However, a heart murmur is also a warning sign of heart disease. Therefore, when seeing any abnormal signs, it is necessary to immediately go to a medical facility for examination and timely intervention.
Thuốc hen suyễn albuterol có thể gây tăng nhịp tim ở trẻ
As a key area of Vinmec Health System, Pediatrics Department - Vinmec International General Hospital always brings satisfaction to customers and is highly appreciated by industry experts thanks to the following advantages:
gathers a team of leading doctors and doctors in Pediatrics: including leading experts, with high professional qualifications (professors, associate professors, doctorates, masters), experienced, having worked in different hospitals. big hospitals like Bach Mai, 108.. The doctors are all well-trained, professional, have a heart - reach, understand young psychology. In addition to domestic pediatric specialists, the Department of Pediatrics also has the participation of foreign experts (Japan, Singapore, Australia, USA) who are always pioneers in applying the latest and most effective treatment regimens. . Comprehensive services: In the field of Pediatrics, Vinmec provides a series of continuous medical examination and treatment services from Newborn to Pediatric and Vaccine,... according to international standards to help parents take care of their baby's health from birth to childhood. from birth to adulthood Specialized techniques: Vinmec has successfully deployed many specialized techniques to make the treatment of difficult diseases in Pediatrics more effective: neurosurgery - skull surgery, stem cell transplantation. blood in cancer treatment. Professional care: In addition to understanding children's psychology, Vinmec also pays special attention to the children's play space, helping them to have fun and get used to the hospital's environment, cooperate in treatment, improve the efficiency of medical treatment.
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Reference source: babycenter.com
