Mitral valve prolapse in children

What is mitral valve prolapse? In someone with mitral valve prolapse (MVP). As the valve closes, one or both of the valve slats curve upward (or rotate upward). In some children, these laths still close completely. In some other children, they may not close properly. When the valves do not close properly, blood can leak into the left atrium. This can happen because the slats are too flexible or too big or misshapen. Mitral valve prolapse is usually not a problem. Almost all children with mitral valve prolapse lead completely normal lives. Many times, people don't even know they have it or don't realize it until adulthood. It is not often diagnosed in children. Sometimes people are born with MVP mitral valve prolapse. Some also get it late in life. Doctors often do not know why people develop mitral valve prolapse (MVP).

Symptoms and signs of mitral valve prolapse Most children with MVP mitral valve prolapse have no complaints and no symptoms. In some children, the mitral valve makes an additional clicking sound when it closes. A doctor may hear this sound when listening to the heart with a stethoscope. Someone who has MVP and some blood leaks through the valve. He may also have a heart murmur. A heart murmur is a sound caused by blood leakage. A child with MVP mitral valve prolapse may also: - Feeling dizzy or lightheaded. - Feeling anxious. - He may be really tired. - Shortness of breath while playing or exercising. - He feels that his heart is beating very fast. - Have chest pain. - Fainting attacks.

How does a doctor detect mitral valve prolapse? ### Medical examination: Most children who are diagnosed with mitral valve prolapse have MVP. They get information about it in an examination or during regular periodic examinations. At first, the doctor may listen to the baby's heart and hear a click or murmur. Then the doctor sends the child to a **pediatric cardiologist** (a doctor who treats children's heart diseases). First, the cardiologist talks with the child and parents for a while and asks questions about health and possible accompanying symptoms. He will then examine your child and listen to his heart. The doctor may also order tests such as an echocardiogram and an electrocardiogram, or ECG. These tests can help the doctor to diagnose the main cause of your child's heart rate. These tests have no side effects. ECG: For an EKG, you lie down and a doctor or nurse places small tags on your chest. These tags are attached to wires and a device that records the electrical waves of your child's heart. This test usually takes about 10 minutes. ### Echocardiography of the heart: Echocardiogram (abbreviated echo) uses sound waves to create an image of the heart and the blood flow inside it. For this test, your child will lie down and the doctor will place some gel (like jelly) on your child's chest. This gel helps to visualize the heart and may be slightly cool and sticky. Then the person who does this echo. With a plastic probe, he will gently press on your child's chest and move the probe head to the skin of the chest. While moving, the device takes pictures of the heart and the images appear on the monitor. Echo takes longer than ECG.

### Treatment: If the doctor discovers that your child has MVP mitral valve prolapse, he or she probably does not need any treatment. In rare cases, children may be prescribed medicine to help the heart pump, and sometimes medicine is prescribed to make the heart beat more regularly. Rarely, a child may need surgery to repair a severely leaking mitral valve.

Can MVP mitral valve prolapse lead to infection? Bacteria (a type of germ) pass through the blood every day. Sometimes they can stick to the diseased leaflets of the mitral valve and cause an infection in the heart. This type of infection is called bacterial endocarditis. The good news is that this is very rare for a child and does not seem to cause problems in children unless the patient's valve is leaking. In the past, children with MVP with leaky dentures were given large amounts of antibiotics (a medicine that kills germs) before every visit to the dentist or before any surgery. Now we know that this is not necessary. What is very important is the daily care of your child's teeth. You may be wondering what dental care has to do with heart health. If the gums are unhealthy (gum disease or gingivitis), the gums become inflamed or irritated. Bacteria that normally live in the mouth. They can easily enter the bloodstream through irritated gums. Therefore, make sure that your child: - He brushes his teeth at least twice a day - in the morning and at night after eating. - Learn how to floss your teeth to get rid of those nasty bacteria before bed. - Visit the dentist every six months. This is the best way to prevent an infection in your child's heart.

Can my child play? If your child has prolapsed mitral valve MVP and there is no problem. He doesn't have to do anything special to take care of himself. You may need to see a pediatric cardiologist every year or two. During these visits, he may have more echocardiograms so that the doctor can thoroughly check the heart and the mitral valve. The doctor will give you information about the permissible amount of exercise and doing all the usual activities in life. If he has symptoms such as fainting attacks or a feeling of high heart rate and palpitations, medicine may be prescribed. Talk to your child's doctor about exercise. Additional testing may be required before the approved range of exercise is approved. Most children with MVP mitral valve prolapse can exercise without problems. In other words, even if you have MVP (mitral valve prolapse), you can still be the MVP with mitral valve prolapse! To read more, you can refer to the following sources. https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/mvp.html https://www.luriechildrens.org/en/specialties-conditions/mitral-valve-prolapse/ https://www.hopkinsallchildrens.org/Patients-Families/Health-Library/HealthDocNew/Mitral-Valve-Prolapse-(1)