Mitral valve prolapse is a common heart condition. It happens when there’s a problem with how one of the heart's valves works. Heart valves keep blood moving through the heart.
Even though it involves the heart, it’s not a serious health problem. Most kids who have the condition don’t have symptoms or need special medical care.
The mitral (MY-trul) valve is between the left atrium and the left ventricle. It helps make sure that blood flows in one direction only as it passes from the left atrium into the left ventricle:
Each time the heart beats, the left ventricle pumps blood out to the body.
The mitral valve has two flaps (or “leaflets”) of tissue that swing shut to prevent the blood in the ventricle from flowing backward into the left atrium.
In mitral valve prolapse, one or both flaps bulges back into the atrium when they shut, a bit like a balloon. This may happen because the flap has an unusual shape or is a little too big.
Mitral valve prolapse usually doesn't cause symptoms or affect everyday life. Many cases aren’t found until someone is an adult.
Kids who do get symptoms might:
In most cases, the cause of mitral valve prolapse isn’t known. Sometimes kids are born with the condition. Others develop it after an inflammatory condition, like:
Mitral valve prolapse sometimes happens with health conditions that involve the body's connective tissue (tissue that supports organs and other tissue), such as Marfan syndrome and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. Some kids also might have an arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeat.
Sometimes, the flaps of the mitral valve make a sound when they close, like when you flick or snap a towel, called a "click." A doctor might hear this noise when listening to the heart with a stethoscope and find the condition that way.
If the flaps do not close evenly or fit together well, blood can leak back into the left atrium. This is called mitral regurgitation. When there’s more than a little leakage (a “leaky valve”), the doctor may hear a whooshing sound as some blood moves backward into the left atrium. This is a heart murmur, and it’s heard between the normal lub-dub sounds of the heartbeat.
When a click and murmur are heard together, the click happens first (as the flaps close and flop back), followed by the murmur (the sound of the blood leaking back into the atrium).
In kids, doctors might find mitral valve prolapse during a regular checkup. When listening to the heart with a stethoscope, the doctor might hear a click or a murmur. If so, the doctor will send the child to a pediatric cardiologist, a doctor who diagnoses and treats heart conditions in kids.
The cardiologist will do an exam, listen to the heart, and possibly order tests such as:
Kids with mitral valve prolapse don't need medical treatment. If the condition causes a lot of mitral regurgitation, doctors may prescribe blood pressure medicine to control how hard the heart muscle works. (With blood leaking back into the atrium, the heart works harder to pump the normal amount of blood out to the body.)
A child who has an arrhythmia along with mitral valve prolapse may need to take medicine to help regulate the heart's rhythm. But this is uncommon in kids.
Leakage from a mitral valve prolapse may go on for years. Rarely, a child might need surgery to repair a very leaky mitral valve. Later in life, someone might need their mitral valve repaired or replaced if:
Kids who have mitral valve prolapse and a leaky valve have a small risk of a bacterial infection of the heart valve (infective endocarditis). It very rarely happens during childhood. Many times the bacteria that cause this kind of infection start out living in the mouth and enter the bloodstream through the gums.
Doctors used to recommend that people with mitral valve prolapse take antibiotics before dental work and surgical procedures as a precaution. This is no longer the case.
Instead, kids should focus on good oral care and:
Kids with mitral valve prolapse who have no other medical conditions usually don’t need special medical care. Those who want to play sports can do so if:
Kids with a leaky valve or symptoms need their doctor’s OK to play sports. This may involve getting more tests.
Any heart condition can cause worry. But mitral valve prolapse isn’t likely to affect your child's everyday life and activities. If you have any questions or concerns, speak with your doctor.
Reviewed by: Kate M. Cronan, MD
Date Reviewed: Jan 10, 2021
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