What Parents Need to Know About Sudden Cardiac Arrest in Children

On April 19, emergency officers and ambulances got a call to respond to a ten-year-old girl allegedly going into a cardiac arrest at a leisure center in South West London. The Sun reported that the girl was rushed to the hospital, where she eventually died.

Police treated the girl's death as unexplained, but it was reported that she went into cardiac arrest. The girl's death is not an isolated case, however.

Sudden cardiac arrest in children

Healthychildren.org of the American Academy of Pediatrics reports several cardiac arrest cases in young people. The AAP noted that an eight-year-old boy playing in his first season of peewee football went into cardiac arrest after the practice. A ten-year-old girl's heart suddenly starts beating after going down a water park slide. AAP also pointed out a 16-year-old high school basketball player who collapsed on the court after making a game-winning shot at teenage kids.

Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is a life-threatening emergency due to abrupt and unexpected loss of heart function leading to loss of consciousness and collapse. It is caused by ventricular fibrillation (VF), an abnormality in the heart's electrical system. When SCA occurs, the blood stops flowing to the heart, brain, and the rest of the body, and the person usually collapses. Medics usually give CPR and defibrillation to restore life.

The emergency is fatal if not treated within minutes. Although rare, sudden cardiac arrest happens in young people. In the U.S., about 2,000 seemingly healthy people under 25 die of cardiac arrest, the Center for Disease and Control Prevention (CDC) reports.

Warning signs

Most patients and families would find no apparent injury or medical reasons before SCA happens in seemingly healthy people. However, people with SCA may experience shortness of breath, chest pain, or fainting in some cases. However, these signs are not thought to be life-threatening.

Causes of SCA in young people

According to CS Mott Children's Hospital, SCA among the youth has three common causes. Long QT Syndrome is a congenital condition that predisposes the child to an abnormality in the heart's electrical system, leading to SCA. The genetic condition affects one in 7,000 young people, and it is often triggered by physical exertion or emotional stress.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is also a congenital heart muscle disease. The patient has hypertrophy, a condition when the heart's left ventricle becomes thick. The abnormality in the heart's structure can lead to obstruction of blood flow from the heart, causing loss of consciousness and irregular heartbeat, which leads to SCA. The genetic condition affects one in 500 to 1,000 young people.

Commotio Cordis is an electrical disturbance caused by a blow to the chest. This condition is common in baseball games, but it has also been reported in other sports that impact the chest.