February is American Heart Month, and while heart health conversations often focus on adults, children can also experience serious cardiovascular conditions. This month, Missouri Ozarks Community Health is reminding parents of the critical role sports physicals and well-child exams play in identifying potential heart issues that could lead to sudden cardiac arrest.
Sudden cardiac arrest occurs when the heart unexpectedly stops beating. Although rare, it can affect anyone and is the leading cause of death among young athletes. One of the most common causes in children is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a genetic condition in which the heart muscle thickens and restricts blood flow. Many people are not diagnosed until adulthood, but in the case of Amanda McIntosh, a dental assistant at Missouri Ozarks Community Health, her son was diagnosed in infancy.
“Jesse had a very traumatic birth, in which he coded for four minutes and had to be rushed by ambulance to Mercy Springfield’s neonatal intensive care unit,” said McIntosh. Further testing and a genetics panel led to his diagnosis. His condition means he cannot participate in sports that have high impact or that involve full contact. But McIntosh said they try to ensure their active nine-year-old has as normal a childhood as possible. “Although he did have to stop participating in rodeos and cannot do things like jump on a trampoline, he is still able to do so much,” said McIntosh. “He plays basketball, baseball and does archery.”
Last year, Jesse became the youngest patient in Missouri to receive an implantable extravascular cardioverter-defibrillator (EVICD). McIntosh said the device gives her family a sense of peace. It attaches outside Jesse’s body and sounds an alarm and shocks his heart in case of emergency.
While they can seem like a formality, sports physicals and well-child exams can help alert parents to heart conditions like hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. “These exams are designed to include detailed personal and family history questionnaires that screen for possible cardiac concerns,” said Tanya Calhoun, a pediatric nurse practitioner at Missouri Ozarks Community Health. “The physical examinations also include detailed assessments that can help rule out concerns for heart murmurs or other cardiac conditions.”
Calhoun said there are several red flags she looks for before deciding to refer a child to a cardiologist. “The key red flags include exertional chest pain, unexplained fainting or near-fainting, palpitations, and excessive, unexpected shortness of breath or fatigue,” said Calhoun. Other critical indicators are a family history of premature, unexplained sudden death (under age 50) and abnormal physical exam findings like heart murmurs.
Otherwise, it’s important for parents to monitor their child year-round for any potential cardiac issues. Calhoun said symptoms can include unexplained fainting (especially during exercise), chest pain, palpitations, shortness of breath, rapid fatigue and a blue tint around the lips or fingernails. She said parents should always seek immediate emergency care if their child is fainting, has severe chest pain or difficulty breathing. “As a parent, if you feel something is wrong, go with your gut and speak up to your medical provider,” said McIntosh. “Medication, technology and knowledge of heart conditions have come so far that it can be possible to still live a healthy, active life even with a diagnosis.”
