This study sought to determine the, extent of anxiety and misperceptio
ns about heart murmurs for consenting parents of 182 Children referred
for first-time pediatric cardiology assessment (including echocardiog
raphy) of a heart murmur. From questionnaires completed before assessm
ent, 22% of parents indicated that they were extremely concerned, and
only 16% could define a heart murmur as: a sound made by the heart. Fr
om 1-month follow-up questionnaires obtained from parents of children
without heart disease at assessment, 10% continued to believe that the
ir child had a heart problem. Cardiology assessment may not provide co
mplete reassurance to all families and additional interventions may be
necessary.