During a physical exam for a congenital heart defect, the health professional will:

• Check your child's weight and length.
• Check your child's heart rate and blood pressure.
• Listen to your child's heart and lungs with a stethoscope to detect whether a heart murmur is present. A heart murmur can be normal in children but should be checked by a health professional.
• Check your child's heart rate (pulses) on the neck, wrist, legs, and feet.
• Check your child's nail beds, lips, and skin for a bluish tint (cyanosis) and/or clubbing. Your health professional may also check the amount of oxygen in your child's blood with an oximeter.
• Look at the skin over the blood vessels in the neck to see whether the vessels bulge. This may happen if the heart is weak (heart failure).
• Look at and feel your child's belly to check for an enlarged liver. The liver may be enlarged in children who have heart failure.