Heart Murmurs in Children
Heart Murmurs in Children
Heart Murmurs in Children Treatment Clinic in London
Specialist Assessment & Diagnosis of Heart Murmurs in Children
At London Paediatric Clinic, our experienced paediatricians and consultant paediatric cardiologists provide expert assessment and diagnosis for babies, children, and teenagers with heart murmurs and other cardiac concerns. We understand that being told your child has a heart murmur can be worrying for parents, even though most childhood heart murmurs are harmless. Our aim is to establish an accurate diagnosis, provide clear answers and reassurance, and ensure every child receives the most appropriate care.
A heart murmur is an extra sound heard during the heartbeat and is often detected during a routine examination or when a child is being assessed for another health concern. While many heart murmurs are innocent and require no treatment, some may be associated with an underlying heart condition that requires further investigation or ongoing monitoring. Early specialist assessment is the best way to determine the cause of the murmur, rule out significant heart disease, and give families confidence and peace of mind.
Our consultant-led approach focuses on understanding your child’s symptoms, medical history, family history, growth, and overall cardiovascular health. We work closely with families to provide expert advice while offering prompt access to specialist cardiac investigations, including echocardiography (heart ultrasound), electrocardiograms (ECG), heart rhythm monitoring, exercise testing, and additional diagnostic investigations where appropriate. Conveniently located in Central London, London Paediatric Clinic provides comprehensive private assessment, diagnosis, and ongoing care for children with heart murmurs, helping families access leading paediatric cardiology expertise without unnecessary delays.
Dr Badr Chaban
MD MRCPCH MSc
Why Choose Us for Your Child's Heart Murmur Assessment?
Experienced Paediatricians & Consultant Paediatric Cardiologists
Our experienced team provides expert assessment, diagnosis, and ongoing care for babies, children, and teenagers with heart murmurs and other cardiac conditions.
Comprehensive Cardiac Assessments
We take time to understand your child's symptoms, medical history, family history, growth, and overall cardiovascular health, ensuring a thorough and individualised evaluation.
Same-Day Appointments Available
We understand how concerning a heart murmur can be for families. Where available, we offer same-day appointments, providing prompt specialist assessment and reassurance.
Rapid Access to Cardiac Investigations
Where appropriate, we can arrange prompt access to echocardiography (heart ultrasound), electrocardiograms (ECG), heart rhythm monitoring, exercise testing, and other specialist cardiac investigations to establish an accurate diagnosis without unnecessary delays.
Ongoing Cardiology Care & Follow-Up
Whether your child requires reassurance, ongoing monitoring, or treatment for an underlying heart condition, we provide continued follow-up and coordinated care to support their long-term heart health.
Home Visits & Central London Clinic
We offer both home visits and a conveniently located Central London clinic, giving families flexible access to expert paediatric and cardiology care.
Testimonials
Comprehensive Heart Murmur Assessments
Every child is different, and heart murmurs can vary in their cause and clinical significance. During appointments, our experienced paediatricians and consultant paediatric cardiologists take time to understand your child’s medical history, pregnancy and birth history where relevant, symptoms, family history of heart disease, growth, exercise tolerance, and overall wellbeing. This comprehensive assessment helps us determine whether the murmur is likely to be innocent or whether it requires further investigation, giving families clear answers and reassurance.
We assess babies, children, and teenagers with newly diagnosed heart murmurs, suspected congenital heart disease, breathlessness, chest pain or discomfort, poor feeding, poor weight gain, palpitations, dizziness, fainting episodes, or concerns identified during routine examinations. Where appropriate, we can arrange prompt access to specialist cardiac investigations, including echocardiography (heart ultrasound), electrocardiograms (ECG), heart rhythm monitoring (Holter monitoring), exercise testing, and additional diagnostic investigations. By combining rapid access to advanced cardiac diagnostics with expert paediatric cardiology care, we ensure children receive an accurate diagnosis, timely treatment, and ongoing support whenever required.
Fees and Pricing
Clear, transparent pricing is an important part of planning your care. The following guide outlines consultation fees and typical costs for prostate cancer surgery.
Initial Consultation
£300
Clear, transparent pricing is an important part of planning your care. The following guide outlines consultation fees and typical costs for paediatric consultation.
Follow-Up Consultation
£300
Follow-up appointments are available before or after treatment to review progress, discuss results, and provide ongoing guidance.
Private Medical Insurance
At London Paediatric Clinic, we aim to make accessing specialist paediatric care as straightforward as possible. We accept most major private medical insurers and can provide guidance regarding authorisation requirements, coverage, and the options available to you, helping make the process clear and stress-free so you can focus on your child's health and wellbeing.
Understanding Heart Murmurs in Children
A heart murmur is an extra sound heard during the heartbeat as blood flows through the heart. Heart murmurs are common during childhood and are often detected during routine medical examinations or when a child is being assessed for another health concern. The majority are innocent (functional) heart murmurs, meaning the heart is completely normal and no treatment is required. Although hearing that your child has a heart murmur can be concerning, most children have healthy hearts and go on to lead completely normal, active lives.
However, some heart murmurs may be associated with congenital heart defects, abnormalities of the heart valves, or other cardiac conditions that require further assessment or ongoing monitoring. Early specialist evaluation, together with prompt access to investigations such as echocardiography (heart ultrasound) and electrocardiograms (ECG), helps establish an accurate diagnosis, determine whether treatment is required, and provide families with the reassurance and confidence they need.
Recognising the Signs of a Heart Murmur
Many children with heart murmurs have no symptoms at all, and the murmur is simply detected during a routine examination. However, some children may develop symptoms that suggest an underlying heart condition, including poor feeding, poor weight gain, breathlessness, excessive sweating during feeds or exercise, chest pain, palpitations, dizziness, fainting, reduced exercise tolerance, or a bluish colour around the lips or fingertips (cyanosis). In babies, signs such as difficulty feeding, rapid breathing, or failure to gain weight appropriately may also warrant further assessment.
Although these symptoms are often caused by conditions other than heart disease, they should always be assessed by an experienced clinician. Early specialist evaluation, together with prompt access to investigations such as echocardiography (heart ultrasound) and electrocardiograms (ECG), can help establish an accurate diagnosis, determine whether the murmur is innocent or related to an underlying heart condition, and ensure children receive the most appropriate care and reassurance.
Innocent vs Abnormal Heart Murmurs
The majority of heart murmurs diagnosed in children are innocent (functional) heart murmurs, meaning they are caused by normal blood flow through a healthy heart. These murmurs are common during childhood, often become more noticeable during periods of rapid growth, fever, or exercise, and usually do not require treatment, medication, or restrictions on physical activity. Following specialist assessment, families can often be reassured that their child’s heart is completely healthy.
Abnormal heart murmurs are less common and may be associated with congenital heart defects, heart valve abnormalities, or other cardiac conditions that require further evaluation. Through comprehensive assessment and prompt access to specialist cardiac investigations, including echocardiography (heart ultrasound) and electrocardiograms (ECG), we can accurately determine the cause of the murmur and, where necessary, arrange appropriate treatment, ongoing monitoring, or referral to our consultant paediatric cardiology team.
When Should You Seek Specialist Advice?
Specialist assessment may be beneficial if your child has recently been diagnosed with a heart murmur, has symptoms such as breathlessness, poor feeding, poor weight gain, chest pain, palpitations, dizziness, fainting, excessive sweating during feeds or exercise, or there is a family history of congenital or inherited heart disease. Babies with a heart murmur identified shortly after birth should also undergo specialist evaluation to determine whether further investigations are required.
Parents naturally want reassurance when concerns arise about their child’s heart. Early specialist assessment, together with prompt access to investigations such as echocardiography (heart ultrasound), electrocardiograms (ECG), and other cardiac tests where appropriate, can help distinguish innocent heart murmurs from those caused by an underlying heart condition. This enables families to receive a clear diagnosis, expert advice, and confidence about the most appropriate next steps.
Diagnosis & Treatment
Following assessment, we provide clear explanations and personalised recommendations tailored to your child’s individual needs. While many children are diagnosed with an innocent heart murmur and require only reassurance, others may benefit from further investigations, ongoing monitoring, or treatment for an underlying heart condition. Our aim is to establish an accurate diagnosis quickly, giving families clarity, reassurance, and confidence in their child’s care.
Where appropriate, we can arrange prompt access to specialist cardiac investigations, including echocardiography (heart ultrasound), electrocardiograms (ECG), heart rhythm monitoring, exercise testing, and additional diagnostic tests. Working closely with our consultant paediatric cardiologists and multidisciplinary team, we ensure children receive timely diagnosis, coordinated care, and access to the most appropriate treatment and long-term cardiac follow-up whenever required.
Concerned About Your Child's Heart Murmur?
If your child has been diagnosed with a heart murmur or you have concerns about their heart health, an early specialist assessment can provide the answers and reassurance you need. Our experienced paediatricians and consultant paediatric cardiologists provide expert diagnosis, prompt access to advanced cardiac investigations, and personalised care to ensure your child receives the highest standard of assessment and treatment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a heart murmur mean my child has a heart problem?
Not necessarily. Most heart murmurs in children are innocent (functional) heart murmurs and are caused by normal blood flow through a healthy heart. However, a specialist assessment is important to determine whether the murmur is innocent or related to an underlying heart condition.
What causes a heart murmur in children?
Many heart murmurs are completely normal and occur as blood flows through a healthy heart. Less commonly, a heart murmur may be caused by a congenital heart defect, a heart valve abnormality, or another cardiac condition that requires further assessment.
What tests might my child need?
Depending on your child’s symptoms and examination findings, we can arrange prompt access to specialist cardiac investigations, including echocardiography (heart ultrasound), electrocardiograms (ECG), heart rhythm monitoring, exercise testing, and other diagnostic tests where appropriate.
Can my child continue playing sports?
Most children with innocent heart murmurs can continue all normal activities, including sports and exercise, without restriction. If an underlying heart condition is identified, we will provide personalised advice based on your child’s diagnosis.
Will my child need treatment?
Many children with heart murmurs require only reassurance. If an underlying heart condition is identified, treatment may range from regular monitoring to medication or referral for specialist cardiac care, depending on the diagnosis.
Will my child need ongoing follow-up?
Some children require only a single assessment, while others benefit from ongoing review by our consultant paediatric cardiologists. Any follow-up will be tailored to your child’s individual diagnosis and long-term needs.
Do I need a referral?
No. You do not usually need a GP or hospital referral to arrange a private heart murmur assessment at London Paediatric Clinic.
How quickly can my child be seen?
We understand how worrying it can be when a heart murmur is identified. London Paediatric Clinic offers prompt appointments and, where available, same-day consultations, providing rapid access to experienced paediatricians, consultant paediatric cardiologists, and specialist cardiac investigations without unnecessary delays.
Need to Speak to a Paediatrician Today?
Whether you have concerns about your child’s health, development, behaviour, sleep, nutrition, or wellbeing, our experienced paediatric team is here to help. Same-day appointments are available where possible, helping families access expert care when they need it most.
Our Location
Address: 90 Sloane Street, Chelsea SW1X 9PQ
Conveniently located at 90 Sloane Street in the heart of Central London, London Paediatric Clinic offers easy access to expert private paediatric care for babies, children, and teenagers.