Question
I was recently told that my 6-year-old daughter has a murmur but that it is an innocent murmur and I have nothing to worry about. My sister was born with a hole in her heart and had open heart surgery and now is on medicines because her heart is weak. I am scared that my daughter has something serious. Is there such a thing as an innocent murmur? If so, what is it? Should I be more worried about my daughter because my sister has congenital heart disease?

Answer:
Innocent murmurs, also called functional or normal murmurs, are very common during infancy and childhood. In fact, it is estimated that at some time in their lives most children will have an innocent heart murmur. There are a few types of innocent murmurs, but all represent the normal sound of blood as it flows from the heart into the main blood vessels of the body or lungs. Normal murmurs are usually diagnosed by the typical sound heard with a stethoscope during a physical examination. Some murmurs require additional tests, such as an electrocardiogram (ECG) or echocardiogram (Echo) to distinguish them from much less common abnormal murmurs.

Heart abnormalities can on rare occasions run in the family. However, if you do not have congenital heart disease and your sister is the only family member to be born with a heart problem, then your daughter is not at increased risk of having such a problem.