Arrhythmia, established by a pediatric cardiologist or local pediatrician, sometimes sounds like a verdict. Is everything so terrible as it might seem at first glance, for what reason did this happen and what needs to be done?
First you need to understand what arrhythmia is. Respiratory cardiac arrhythmia in a child is a disorder of the normal activity of the heart muscle, which consists in changing the exact rhythm, frequency or strength of the heartbeat. Due to natural or acquired causes. Arrhythmia can be clinically expressed by circulatory pathology or asymptomatic.
If the baby has been diagnosed with arrhythmia, there is no need to panic, it is necessary to carry out a number of studies and get advice from experienced professionals who specialize in this disease.
Even in absolutely strong children, as they grow up, they can find varieties of arrhythmias, and it is important to understand whether the preschooler really needs treatment, or if the rhythm malfunctions are of a short-term, physical nature.
The greatest threat to the development of arrhythmias in newly born children, as well as in the following age groups: 4–5 years old, 7–8 and 12–14. For this reason, in this age of the child during the medical examination period, special attention is paid to the work of the heart.
Causes
As a rule, moderate respiratory arrhythmia in children and adolescents is considered the norm, and it is associated with age-related and hormonal changes. It manifests itself during deep breathing, including during increased physical exertion, such as when running or walking fast. In general , heart rate in children is faster compared to adults.
But there are also cases when the cause of respiratory arrhythmia is a variety of diseases and factors, such as:
- congenital heart defects ;
- hormonal changes in adolescents;
- vegetovascular dystonia during periods of sharp growth spurts;
- rickets that increase the excitability of the nervous system in childhood;
- severe allergic reactions;
- past respiratory tract infection;
- physical overload;
- constant stress and various mental disorders;
- prematurity in newborns, often causing respiratory arrhythmias in infancy.
It is assumed that the shorter the gestation period, the higher the likelihood of arrhythmia in the newborn. In many cases, over time, the heart rate in such children is leveled, but if there are additional factors, the disease may develop with age.
Symptoms
Unfortunately, respiratory arrhythmia in children does not have any pronounced symptoms. In addition, a small child is not able to explain what exactly is bothering him. For these reasons, the symptoms of respiratory arrhythmias in a child at a year or at any other age can only be recognized by the attending physician during special studies.
In infants
Arrhythmia in newly born babies is justified by the continuation of the pathology of the heart rhythm, which began to develop even in utero. Doctors find pathology data during ultrasound screening during pregnancy. The success of the outcome depends on how early such an arrhythmia was discovered. In addition, the occurrence of pathology of the heart rhythm is greatly influenced by heredity. Great risk are children who have appeared with a small body weight. After birth, in the first days of existence, infants record a frequent heartbeat, it reaches 120 beats per minute, and at the end of the week - up to 140 beats. If the heart rate is less than 60 beats per minute, bradycardia is recorded. A more common factor in the appearance of a rhythm pathology in a newborn is considered a heart defect.
In babies
But despite all of the above, careful parents may suspect problems in the baby’s heart by the following criteria characterizing respiratory arrhythmia in children:
- violation of the rhythm of sleep in a child;
- with physical activity, the child may experience shortness of breath, excessive sweating;
- general pallor with a manifestation of cyanosis in certain areas (nails, lips, feet);
- loss of appetite or refusal to eat (refusal to suckle), which entailed weight loss;
- in the behavior of the child appears nervousness, causeless crying, or, conversely, lethargy and apathy.
Older kids
Older children may formulate the following complaints:
- fading of the heart or sudden strong tremors;
- sensations of contraction and pain in the heart;
- dizziness and fainting.
At home, if the above conditions are detected, parents should try to fix the child's pulse and consult a doctor. He will prescribe the diagnosis of respiratory arrhythmia in children on an ECG and, based on the results, will determine the treatment.
Diagnostics
To diagnose respiratory arrhythmias in children, standard cardiological methods and techniques are used. Referral to such special studies is usually issued after routine medical examinations, taking into account complaints described by parents.
The list of necessary diagnostic measures for determining respiratory arrhythmia includes the following procedures:
- Carrying out an electrocardiogram is perhaps the most important step for determining heart rhythm disturbances, which helps to detect the presence of various arrhythmias. Sometimes in a hospital it is recommended to conduct daily monitoring of ECG indications for sinus respiratory arrhythmias in a child.
- For a general picture of the state of health, a clinical analysis of urine is taken, blood sampling is done for clinical and biochemical studies. Directions can be issued after the ECG procedure for respiratory arrhythmias in children.
In order to exclude other diseases that have symptoms similar to arrhythmias, an examination is prescribed with other specialized specialists, for example, a pulmonologist, gastroenterologist, and a neurologist.
Treatment
A cardiologist deals with the treatment of respiratory arrhythmias in a child. Nowadays, 3 approaches are used:
- medication;
- non-drug;
- surgical.
According to some experts, treatment should be started with the use of non-medication, and medication and surgery should be resorted to only when absolutely necessary.
Changing lifestyle
Do not overburden the child at school and at home. In the children's team and family it is necessary to provide a favorable psychological and friendly atmosphere. Of course, the baby needs to be diversified, but the main thing is the measure! Computer games and sitting in front of the TV need to be replaced with more useful walks on the street. In the mode you need to turn on charging and hardening, as well as ensure normal sleep - at least 8 hours. It will effectively apply therapeutic baths and regularly perform neck and collar massage.
The permissible load must be discussed with the doctor, since there are types of arrhythmias in which you need to limit your exercise. Be sure to notify him of the drugs that the child is taking, as they can disrupt the rhythm of the heart.
Nutritional products should be included in the child’s diet: fresh herbs, fruits and vegetables, milk, meat, homemade cottage cheese, fish. The intake of caffeinated drinks, sugary and savory foods, fatty fish and meat should be limited. If one of the parents or family members smokes, you need to protect the child as much as possible, because secondhand smoke affects the heart, often causing various diseases.
Drug treatment
If the above measures are ineffective, the child is shown medication, which is prescribed taking into account the causes of respiratory arrhythmia.
- Treatment of infections with antibiotics.
- Correction of endocrine diseases.
- The use of drugs to restore the water-electrolyte balance.
- Nootropic drugs to improve the nutrition of heart muscles ("Glycine", "Nootropil").
- Sedatives (motherwort and valerian).
The doctor may ascribe to the child antiarrhythmic and rhythm-reducing agents. With a rapid heartbeat, the child is prescribed Anaprilin and Verapamil, while heart rate reduction, the use of Eufillin and Itrop is indicated. It is extremely undesirable to self-medicate, since these drugs can have contraindications and unpleasant consequences.
Surgical intervention
If respiratory arrhythmia developed in a child as a result of organic pathology, surgical intervention is indicated.
- Correction of heart defects.
- Implantation of a pacemaker in the event of blockages.
- Radiofrequency ablation of the site that generates impulses outside the sinus node.
Violations of the rhythm of the heart system as a result of frequent breathing in children, in fact, do not cause any special complications, since with age they can go away on their own if heart pathologies are not detected.
In adolescence, this type of arrhythmia can indicate cardiac abnormalities, which can cause quite dangerous complications: heart attack, heart disease and heart failure. But it is important to remember that often respiratory arrhythmia can talk about the beginning problems of other organs, so this condition should not be ignored. Parents need to take care of the heart of the child, timely undergo examinations and medical examinations - this will help prevent any problems. Do not blame the child excessively for poor performance or poor behavior, since, according to psychologists, fears and feelings can trigger the appearance of respiratory arrhythmia. With a timely examination, arrhythmia will not be hazardous to health.
Prevention
The list of necessary actions for prevention includes:
- limitation of possible serious stresses on the body;
- restriction of employment to certain sports;
- the exception of wearing, lifting heavy objects, etc.
If you take such loads, then in addition to them, the additional load on the heart is added, and it, in turn, can not always cope with it correctly. As a result, this leads to a violation of air exchange, problems in the functioning of the brain.
Physical activity can negatively affect and affect the general condition, fatigue may increase, dizziness and fainting are possible.
You must adhere to the principles of proper nutrition. From the menu you need to exclude or minimize fried, smoked, spicy or too fatty foods. It is recommended to eat in small portions with small intervals between meals. In the kid’s daily menu, there must be fruits and vegetables, and preferably raw.
Only after consulting with a specialist in cardiology or with your pediatrician, it is possible to use additional vitamins and minerals necessary for the proper functioning of the heart. These include, for example, sodium and calcium. When choosing a menu, there are no restrictions on products that contain a large number of such elements.