Yes, heart murmurs in newborns are fairly common and often harmless, though some need follow-up.
Why Doctors Hear A Murmur In A Newborn
A murmur is a whooshing sound produced by moving blood. In tiny chests the noise carries, so clinicians often pick it up during routine checks. The sound can come from normal flow through small vessels, from closing ducts in the first days of life, or from a structural issue that needs attention. The word “murmur” describes a sound, not a diagnosis.
How Common Are Newborn Heart Murmurs Today?
In maternity wards and early checkups, many infants will have a murmur at least once. Pediatric reviews note that most children will have a murmur during childhood, and only a small share have heart disease. Referral to cardiology is frequent because the finding is common, not because danger is assumed. Guidance for frontline clinicians also stresses careful listening, oxygen checks, and targeted use of ultrasound when the story or exam points that way.
Fast Facts Parents Ask First
- Is a baby with a murmur always ill? Usually not. Many cases are “innocent,” meaning the heart is built normally.
- Can a harmless sound still need a visit? Yes. A clinician confirms the type and decides on follow-up.
- Do these sounds fade? Often yes, as circulation patterns change and the chest grows.
- When is it urgent? Trouble feeding, fast breathing, blue lips, or poor weight gain are red flags.
Early Table: Innocent Vs Concerning Clues
| Feature | More Likely Innocent | More Likely Pathologic |
|---|---|---|
| Baby’s General Look | Feeds well, good color, active | Sweats with feeds, poor growth, blue tint |
| Timing And Grade | Soft, short, systolic only, grades 1–2/6 | Harsh, pansystolic or diastolic, grade ≥3/6 |
| Location And Radiation | Localized, no radiation | Radiates to back, neck, or axilla |
| Oxygen Level | Normal pulse oximetry | Low saturations or a wide arm–leg gap |
| Pulses | Normal and equal | Weak femoral pulses or bounding pulses |
| Other Signs | Normal liver size, calm breathing | Enlarged liver, crackles, or fast breathing |
What Happens In The Hospital Or Birth Center
Soon after birth many units run pulse oximetry screening to pick up critical defects. A midwife or doctor listens during the newborn exam. If the sound is present, they look at the whole picture: vital signs, oxygen level, pulses, and feeding. Some babies are observed for a day or two since a small duct (the ductus arteriosus) normally closes in that window. If the sound and exam settle, no extra tests may be needed.
Why Some Harmless Sounds Happen
Infants have thin chest walls and fast heart rates. Blood moves briskly through narrow pathways, which can make noise even when the heart is normal. As the chest thickens and rates slow, the sound often fades. That is why a child might have a murmur at one visit and not at the next.
When A Murmur Can Signal A Problem
A minority of infants with a murmur have an underlying issue such as a septal defect, valve narrowing, or a vessel that did not close. The overall rate of congenital heart disease is near one in a hundred births. Many of these conditions are mild and watched over time; some need medicine or a procedure.
The Role Of Screening And Tests
If the team is unsure, they may order targeted checks. The common tools are listed here so the names feel familiar:
- Pulse oximetry to check oxygen saturation.
- Echocardiogram, an ultrasound picture of the heart.
- Electrocardiogram to review rhythm and electrical patterns.
- Blood pressure in all limbs to look for differences.
Not every baby needs all of these. The decision is based on the full exam and any symptoms. Parent-facing pages from the American Heart Association explain that many childhood murmurs are harmless and fade with time, while clinical summaries from the family-medicine community outline how doctors sort features that point to disease from those that do not. See the evaluation guide from the American Family Physician for an overview of that approach.
What Parents Can Watch For At Home
After discharge, many babies do well and simply return for the standard early checkup. Call your clinician sooner if you notice fast or labored breathing, bluish lips or tongue, sweating with feeds, sleepiness that limits feeding, or poor weight gain. Trust your sense that something is off.
How Doctors Decide On Follow-Up
If the sound has classic harmless features, the plan may be watchful waiting with a repeat exam. If anything seems off, a pediatric cardiology visit is arranged. Repeating an ultrasound is not needed when a prior normal study and a well child are documented. The plan aims to avoid both missed disease and unnecessary testing.
What A Murmur Sounds Like
Clinicians describe intensity with a six-point scale. Grade 1 is faint and hard to catch; grade 2 is soft but clear; grade 3 is louder; grade 4 adds a vibration you can feel with the stethoscope; grades 5 and 6 are heard with light contact or even near the chest. The pattern in the heartbeat matters too: many harmless sounds are short and occur during pumping out (systole), while a noise during the filling phase (diastole) tends to trigger closer study.
Causes You Might Hear Named
- Peripheral pulmonary flow murmur: common in newborns due to small branch arteries; often fades in months.
- Still’s murmur: a musical tone in toddlers and young kids; harmless.
- Patent ductus arteriosus: a vessel that stays open after birth; can create a continuous sound until it closes.
- Ventricular septal defect: a hole between lower chambers; size and symptoms vary.
Ask for plain-language explanations at each step; a good team will give them and write the plan in your discharge papers.
Numbers Parents Ask About
How many babies have a murmur in the first days? Research in nursery settings reports a small share with an audible sound right after birth, while many more children develop an innocent one later in childhood. At the same time, congenital heart disease sits near one percent of live births. That wide gap helps explain why many murmurs in infants turn out to be benign sounds from normal flow.
Everyday Care And Safe Activity
Unless the cardiology team says otherwise, babies with an innocent sound can feed, sleep, and later play without limits. No special diet is needed. Routine vaccines stay on schedule. Growth and development checks proceed as normal.
Medication And Procedures
Harmless sounds need no medicine. When a condition exists, treatment ranges from observation to diuretics, after-load reducers, catheter closure, or surgery. Teams choose the least invasive path that solves the problem and helps healthy growth.
What To Expect At A Cardiology Visit
Here’s a quick walkthrough so the day feels predictable:
- History: pregnancy details, family heart history, feeding pattern, sweating, breathing.
- Exam: heart sounds, pulses, oxygen level, growth measures.
- Testing: ultrasound if needed; sticky leads for a brief rhythm tracing.
- Plan: clear advice on activity, feeding, warning signs, and when to return.
Later Table: Typical Next Steps After A New Finding
| Step | Who Leads It | What It Checks |
|---|---|---|
| Observation Period | Newborn team | Vitals, oxygen level, feeding, color |
| Outpatient Review | Pediatrician | Persistence of sound, growth, any symptoms |
| Cardiology Visit | Pediatric cardiologist | Detailed exam, ultrasound, plan of care |
How To Get Ready For Appointments
Bring the discharge summary and any test printouts. Jot down questions ahead of time. Note feeding amounts, diaper counts, and any breathing worries. A short phone video of any color change or noisy breathing can help the team see what you see.
Common Myths, Clear Answers
- “A murmur means a hole.” Not always. Many holes are tiny and close on their own; many sounds come from normal flow.
- “Sports will be banned later.” Harmless sounds do not limit sports. When a condition exists, teams tailor advice to the child and the activity.
- “An ultrasound always finds the cause.” If the first study is normal and the child thrives, repeat scans are not needed unless the story changes.
When To Seek Urgent Care
Go to urgent care or the emergency department if you see fast breathing at rest, blue lips or tongue, sweating that stops feeding, or extreme sleepiness. These signs can point to a heart or lung issue that needs prompt care.
Why Clear Sources Matter
Parent guides from leading groups explain this topic in plain language and match bedside practice. Trusted pages such as the American Heart Association summary and clinician reviews in American Family Physician outline what counts as a harmless sound, what raises concern, and how teams decide on tests. Many hospital leaflets for parents echo the same steps and warning signs.
How We Built This Guide
This piece draws on pediatric reviews, cardiology guidelines, and hospital parent leaflets. It reflects common patterns seen in clinics and on wards and points you to the links above for deeper reading. If your baby has been flagged for a murmur, your own team’s advice comes first, since care plans are tailored to each child.