Home > Encyclopedia of Children's Health > Heart Murmurs

Definition

A heart murmur is an abnormal swishing or whooshing sound made by blood moving through the heart, heart valves, or blood vessels near the heart during the heartbeat cycle. It is heard through a stethoscope by a physician.

Description

When the heart beats, normally it makes two sounds, "lubb" when the valves between the atria and ventricles close, and "dupp" or "dub" when the valves between the ventricles and the major arteries close. A heart murmur is a series of vibratory sounds made by turbulent blood flow through the heart. The sounds are longer than normal heart sounds and can be heard between the normal sounds of the heartbeat.

Heart murmurs can be present at birth or develop later in life. Murmurs are common in infants and children. Nearly two-thirds of heart murmurs...