Conduction and Rhythm Disorders in Children

Arrhythmias are one of the most common diseases of the cardiovascular system among children and adolescents. They manifest themselves in disruption of the heart. Arrhythmia is characterized by changes in the frequency, regularity and sequence of heart contractions. In a broader sense, arrhythmia is any deviation of the heart rhythm from the norm.

Often arrhythmias in children are a consequence of congenital or acquired diseases of the cardiovascular system. It is quite difficult to identify arrhythmias in childhood without instrumental diagnostics, since the child may not pay attention to the discomfort caused by the disease and may not complain. That is why it is extremely important to visit doctors in a timely manner and undergo routine examinations.

Arrhythmias in children are divided into two main groups - diseases characterized by an increased heart rate (tachyarrhythmias), and diseases, the main manifestation of which is a rare heart rhythm (bradyarrhythmias).

Manifestations of arrhythmia in a child may have different specifics. Each age group has its own characteristics.

In newborns and infants, arrhythmia can manifest itself in the following symptoms:

• Refusal to eat.
• Slow growth.
• Intermittent sleep.
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About half of all cases of arrhythmia in school-age children and adolescents are asymptomatic and are detected during routine medical examination. In other cases, a sign of arrhythmia may be increased fatigue, exercise intolerance, pallor, decreased appetite, apathy, or, conversely, mild excitability.
With a low heart rate, dizziness, pain in the heart area, and fainting may occur. Such manifestations require immediate intervention by specialists and hospitalization of the child.

The causes of arrhythmia in a child are divided into several groups:

• Related to the work of the heart (cardiac causes). These include congenital and acquired heart defects, carditis and cardiomyopathies, arterial hypertension, myocarditis, etc. This group also includes the consequences of severe infectious diseases such as tonsillitis, pneumonia, diphtheria.
• Extracardiac causes. These include diseases of the central nervous system, brain injuries and tumors, hereditary diseases, prematurity, complicated childbirth, etc. Conventionally, this group includes arrhythmia in adolescents, which is a consequence of the rapid growth of the body in conditions where the heart and blood vessels do not keep pace with the growth of muscles and skeleton.

Psychologists also point out possible problems in the family when parents are too demanding of the child and constantly set other children or even adults as examples.