Yes, heart murmurs can occur in newborns; most are harmless, but each newborn murmur needs prompt review to rule out heart disease.
Hearing a faint whoosh during a newborn check can rattle any parent. A murmur is a sound made by blood moving through the heart or nearby vessels. Many newborns pass through a short adjustment period after birth, so extra sounds can show up, fade, and never return. Some murmurs point to a structural issue. That’s why newborns with a murmur get careful follow-up.
What A Murmur Means In A New Baby
A murmur is a sound, not a diagnosis. It can come from brisk flow through a normal heart or from a hole, a narrowed valve, or a vessel that hasn’t finished closing yet. Clinicians listen for pitch, timing, and where the sound travels. They also check breathing, skin color, pulses, oxygen levels, and feeding. Those clues help separate low-risk, short-lived sounds from ones that call for imaging.
Common Paths Right After Birth
Right after delivery, pressure and flow patterns in a baby’s circulation change. The ductus arteriosus begins to close. The lungs open and accept more blood flow. During this transition, a soft murmur can appear for a few hours or days and then fade once the circuit settles.
| Murmur Or Pattern | Typical Sound/Clue | Usual Course |
|---|---|---|
| Transitional flow (physiologic) | Soft, brief systolic whoosh; baby well | Fades as circulation stabilizes in days to weeks |
| Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) | Continuous or systolic-dominant hum near left upper chest | Often closes on its own; persistent cases get follow-up |
| Small ventricular septal defect (VSD) | Harsh systolic sound along lower left chest | Some close over time; others need surveillance |
| Pulmonary valve/narrowed outflow | Mid-systolic sound at left upper chest, may radiate | Severity varies; mild cases watchful waiting |
| Still’s-type vibratory tone | Low, musical buzz; more common later in infancy | Benign; tends to vanish with growth |
How Often Do Doctors Hear A Murmur In New Babies? (Data At A Glance)
Screening studies during the first day or two of life find an audible murmur in a small slice of newborns. In many hospitals it’s under one in a hundred during the first checks, yet many children will have an innocent murmur at some stage in early childhood. The low number at birth reflects timing: the circulation is still settling and some conditions stay silent until later.
Because a small share of newborn murmurs link to structural heart disease, teams act early. Pulse-oximetry screening is now routine in nurseries to catch critical defects that limit oxygen delivery. If a clinician hears a murmur, the baby gets a senior review and, if still present or if any red flags show up, an echocardiogram appointment.
For readers who want primary sources, see the AAFP newborn murmur guidance and the NHS neonatal murmur leaflet.
When A Newborn Murmur Needs Urgent Care
Most babies with a new sound feed well, breathe easily, and have good color. Seek care fast if any of the signs below appear, whether a murmur was heard or not. Oxygen-low heart defects can hide during quiet periods, so behavior and feeding matter.
Red Flags You Can Spot At Home
- Hard work with feeds: sweating, pauses to breathe, or falling asleep after a few sucks
- Blue or gray color of lips, tongue, or nail beds
- Fast breathing, flaring nostrils, ribs pulling in
- Poor weight gain or fewer wet diapers
- Extreme tiredness or limpness
- Cool, mottled skin or puffy eyelids/feet
Any of these signs with a young baby calls for urgent evaluation. If the baby seems acutely unwell, call emergency services or go to the nearest emergency department.
How Clinicians Check A Baby’s Heart
Start to finish, the process is stepwise. The first pass is a thorough exam: listening in several spots, feeling pulses in arms and legs, watching breathing, and checking oxygen saturation. Staff also ask about pregnancy history, growth, and any family history of heart conditions.
Tests You May Hear About
Not every baby needs every test. Teams choose based on findings in the room.
- Pulse oximetry: a sensor on hand and foot checks oxygen levels. Low or unequal numbers prompt more tests.
- Electrocardiogram (ECG): tracks electrical activity; helpful for rhythm clues and some structural patterns.
- Chest X-ray: looks at heart size and lung blood flow patterns.
- Echocardiogram: an ultrasound that shows chambers, valves, flow direction, and pressures. This is the key test when a murmur persists or red flags are present.
- Blood work: used rarely, for infection or metabolic concerns.
What Parents Can Do Right Now
Keep feeds steady, watch your baby’s effort, and keep a simple diary of feeding time, wet diapers, and weight checks. That log helps a clinician spot trends. If your baby was discharged with a follow-up plan, keep the appointment even if the sound seems to have gone away. Murmurs can come and go as flow changes.
Care Plans After A Normal Scan
If the ultrasound shows a normal heart or a minor issue with low risk, day-to-day life looks the same as any other newborn. There are no activity limits. Parents often ask about vaccines, tummy time, car seats, or slings. Those continue as usual unless your team gives different advice for a specific finding.
What If The Scan Finds A Small Defect?
Many small holes close on their own. Teams set a schedule to recheck growth and listen again. You’ll get specific instructions about feeding, vitamin drops, and when to call. If extra calories are needed, a dietitian may join the plan.
Practical Myths And Facts
“A Murmur Means A Weak Heart.”
Not true. A soft sound with a thriving baby often reflects brisk flow through a normal structure. The heart can be strong and still make sound.
“No Murmur Means No Heart Problem.”
Not always. Some serious defects create little sound. That’s why oxygen screening and a full exam are part of routine newborn care.
“Exercise Or Crying Makes It Worse, So It Must Be Dangerous.”
With benign murmurs, louder sound during crying or fever just reflects faster flow. The sound can ramp up, then fade when the baby settles.
What Clinicians Weigh When Deciding On Referral
Newborn murmurs carry a higher chance of an underlying defect than murmurs in older kids, so many clinics send newborns with a persistent sound for cardiology review. The exam and oxygen numbers guide timing. If the baby is well, an outpatient echo may be booked within days. If there’s any concern about low oxygen, poor pulses, or feeding strain, imaging happens sooner.
Acute Versus Routine Path
Babies with low oxygen or poor perfusion go down the urgent pathway. Those with a soft sound and normal checks can go home and return for an echo.
Everyday Care While You Wait For The Echo
Most families leave the hospital with a clear plan. While you wait, keep skin-to-skin time, pace bottle feeds if your baby tires, and wake for feeds if stretches run long. If your baby normally takes 20 to 30 minutes to feed and suddenly takes twice as long, call your team.
What The Echo Report Might Say
Reports use short abbreviations. Here’s a plain-language map.
| Term | Plain Meaning | Next Step |
|---|---|---|
| PFO | A flap-like opening between top chambers that often closes on its own | Reassurance; routine follow-up only if advised |
| Small VSD | A tiny hole between lower chambers | Growth checks; echo again later |
| PDA | Vessel that should close after birth stays open | Observe at first; medicine or a procedure if it stays open |
| PS | Narrow flow from right ventricle to lung artery | Severity drives care; mild cases watch |
| AVSD/TOF/TGA | Complex defects | Team sets a tailored plan; some need early surgery |
Keyword-Friendly Section: How Often A Murmur Shows Up In A Newborn Exam
Searchers often want a number. During early checks, audible sounds are uncommon, landing near or below one percent in several hospital series. By contrast, child-clinic visits later in infancy and early childhood turn up many innocent murmurs as hearts grow and chest walls thin. That gap explains the mixed answers parents hear from friends and family.
What Helps Families Feel In Control
Ask These Two Things At Discharge
- What did the oxygen screen show?
- What should trigger a call or visit before the scheduled echo?
Write the answers on your phone. Share them with caregivers.
Pack A Small Go-Bag
Include diapers, a spare onesie, wipes, a charged phone, and feeding supplies. If a clinic asks you to come in on short notice, you’re ready.
Bottom Line For Parents
Yes, newborns can have a murmur. Many are harmless and fade as the circulation settles. Because some point to a heart defect, every newborn murmur deserves skilled ears, oxygen checks, and timely imaging when needed. Stay alert to breathing, color, and feeding, keep the follow-up, and ask questions until the plan feels clear.