title: An evaluation of parental concerns and misperceptions about heart murmurs.
abstract: This study sought to determine the extent of anxiety and misperceptions about heart murmurs for consenting parents of 182 children referred for first-time pediatric cardiology assessment (including echocardiography) of a heart murmur. From questionnaires completed before assessment, 22% of parents indicated that they were extremely concerned, and only 16% could define a heart murmur as a sound made by the heart. From 1-month follow-up questionnaires obtained from parents of children without heart disease at assessment, 10% continued to believe that their child had a heart problem. Cardiology assessment may not provide complete reassurance to all families and additional interventions may be necessary.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: B W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: McCrindle
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Shaffer
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Kan
authors.forename: K G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Zahka
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Rowe
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kidd
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002648:Child; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000523:psychology; D006337:Heart Murmurs / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D010552:Personality Assessment