*What is the most common benign murmur of infancy? What is it due to? When does this murmur disappear (reason and age)?
Physiologic Peripheral Stenosis (PPS)Physiologic PPS is the most common murmur of infancy and is not pathological. The murmur is due to turbulence caused by 2 factors: 1) the branch pulmonary arteries being smaller compared to the main pulmonary artery, 2) the sharp angle of origin of the branch arteries off the main pulmonary artery. A soft, harsh systolic ejection murmur is best heard at the axillae and both the right and left hemithoraces. By 12 months of age the branch pulmonary arteries become larger and the angle of origin off the main pulmonary artery widens, causing the murmur to disappear.
The most common benign murmur of infancy is the innocent or functional murmur. It is a type of heart murmur that occurs in healthy infants and children who have a structurally normal heart.
This type of murmur is due to the normal flow of blood through the heart and does not indicate any heart disease or structural defect. Innocent murmurs are often first heard during routine physical exams and are usually harmless and disappear on their own by the age of 2 to 3 years old.
The disappearance of innocent murmurs is due to the maturation of the child’s cardiovascular system. As the child grows, the heart muscles and valves become stronger and the blood vessels become wider, allowing for better blood flow and reducing the turbulence that causes the murmur. If an innocent murmur is heard beyond the age of 3, further testing may be necessary to rule out any underlying heart conditions.
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