Mitral Regurtitation (MR) Or Mitral Insufficiency (MI), My Son Has It!

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"Mitral insufficiency: Incomplete closure of the mitral valve resulting in the backflow of blood from the left ventricle to the left atrium of the heart." taken from www.medicinenet.com Two years ago while we were living in Samoa, my son (3 years of age at the time) complained of a sore throat. We took him in to see a paediatrician and he discovered a heart murmur. We were referred to an Echo team from Australia who were visiting Samoa at the time. They diagnosed my son as having "mild to medium case of Rheumatic Fever." Very rare that children under the age of 5 ever get Rheumatic Fever, so I was stunned when they told us. (My younger brother actually had Rheumatic Fever and was born with a hole in his heart - so I figured it could of been herediatry). Since then he has had to have a Bicillin (sp?) injection every 28 days in his bottom. Since arriving in USA Aug-Sept 2006, we were referred to a heart specialist who ran further tests and because there were no blood works taken at the time he was diagnosed, he could not be sure whether my son had or ever had Rheumatic Fever. Last week we went back for his sixth month check up and they concluded after further tests that he never had Rheumatic Fever in the first place but that he was born with MR. It is a huge relief in terms of knowing that my son doesn't have to take the injections anymore, and to finally get a proper diagnostic of his condition. We were told that as long as he doesn't do any type of sports where he over exerts himself i.e. body building/lifting heavy weights, then he should be fine to go through life as a normal child. He will have to take antibiotics everytime he has dental work though, to prevent bacterial endocarditis (valve infection).