Child with irregular heartbeat

[Buffafly]

I'm feeling a bit upset at the moment - we were having a family party today and discussing the fact that all of us have some kind of irregular HB although only I have been diagnosed with PAF, when my youngest daughter suddenly mentioned that my very healthy granddaughter of 6 yrs had a medical checkup for another problem and the Dr asked casually if they'd been told that she had an irregular HB? but not to worry about it. I was stunned as she is such a bouncy child.

Has anyone else heard of this? I don't want to make a fuss if the family is not worried but of course I AM.

[rosyG]

Sorry to hear that- I think they should have their daughter properly checked out to be clear about what is causing this- it is normal for children to have a faster heart rate but irregularities should be investigated ( I'm not a doctor but think you should be on the safe side)

[BobD Volunteer]

I agree that this should be investigated but not at the expense of causing panic around the family. There is some anecdotal evidence of familial (genetic) connection for AF but as yet no solid research . My eldest son (25 ) had some irregular beats a year or two back but nothing since so it may be a passing thing.

Many people find out by accident that their parents or grandparents had AF but to be be honest many elderly people have it anyway as part of age related falling to bits. My Aunt who died three weeks ago aged 93 had AF as one of several things on her death certificate but I don't score anything on that as it also said "old age". lol

Bob

[barnes12 in reply to BobD]

Well thats a good advert for af 93 I'll take that karen

[GivEmkeL]

I agree with the others that have aleady commented. I would definitely want to have it further investigated, but would try not to be overly concerned or make a conclusion before diagnostics and such have been completed. Easier said than done, I know!

With having said that, as a mother of 4 I am always a little on alert as not only I have AF (30s when first onset), and I also have a 1st cousin who has AF on my maternal grandmother's side. This same grandmother passed away as a result of a Stroke at age 63 in the mid 70s. Although she was never diagnosed with AF I certainly wonder if that was the case. I vividly recall her having these "spells" in which she held her chest over her heart and would need to sit down because she felt faint.

My daughter (now 23) has a history of syncope that began when she was 10. There seems to be no rhyme nor reason for it, and when it initially began we had every diagnostic test you can think of to find the underlying cause. Everything turned out "normal." And, so we carried on. I will not be surprised if at some time in the future she receives an AF diagnosis. Not only because I have AF, but because her dad also has AF as well as several of his family members.

I know that there has been (and hopefully will be) some research conducted to find out if a strong genetic link may be an indicator that a person has a greater likelihood for developing the condition. It is my hope that as studies are conducted, the research results will give us a better picture to understanding some of the underlying causes of AF.

Best wishes - KeL

[meadfoot]

The pop singer Jessie J was diagnosed with an irregular heart beat as a child and seems to have thrived into adulthood with no bad effects. I agree with others that I would want to pursue further for sure but without panic.

My daughter had something similar a couple of times as a teenager and now hitting 30 has not had any repetition (not familial in our case as she is adopted not our birth child).

Try not to worry, easier said than done I know.

Dee

[Buffafly]

Thanks for your comments, I would certainly like to know more about what the doctor heard but my daughter does not take kindly to interference. However as I am going to be doing some childminding in the future I think I may be entitled to apply a gentle pressure.

[Moonriver]

My father had AF and died in June at the age of 92. He was a lovely man and I miss him so much. I think my heart went on the blink again after all the sadness after that!