A heart health concern doesn’t mean your child needs to sit on the sidelines, but there are steps you should take to protect their safety and your peace of mind. Dr. Kerri Carter, pediatric cardiologist and director of our pediatric cardiology fellowship program, answers these 6 questions about getting your kid into the game.
What advice do you give parents of kids with heart conditions when their children want to pursue sports?
It’s rare that a child’s heart condition would completely exclude them from participation in sports and whatever other activities they enjoy. There is overwhelming evidence that exercise is safe in most kids with structural heart disease. Not only that, the benefits of regular exercise and even participation in organized sports go well beyond just cardiovascular and physical health. It is so important for quality of life and just experiencing life like a kid!
However, we know loosening the reins can be scary for parents. My best advice is to always reach out to your child’s pediatric cardiologist for help with making decisions about what’s safest and if there is anything we would want to avoid.
Are there certain sports you recommend for your patients or sports your patients should avoid?
There are guidelines for which sports and activities to avoid with certain diagnoses or conditions that are pretty universally accepted. Your family’s pediatric cardiologist can go through all the recommendations and make sure everyone is on the same page with what to choose, what to avoid and what level of competitiveness is appropriate for each patient.
What happens during a preparticipation visit with a cardiologist?
Great question! Knowing what to expect can help families be more prepared for what information might be useful to have on hand. First thing to remember is that the first stop should always be your general pediatrician or family doctor because pre-participation screening goes beyond the heart.
For those who need to see us or for kids who have a known diagnosis, we’ll:
- Ask questions about any concerning symptoms during activity
- Ask about any cardiac problems that run in the family
- Review the patient’s medical history and any procedures or surgeries they may have had
- Do a thorough cardiac physical exam and maybe some extra testing like an ECG, echocardiogram (cardiac ultrasound) or sometimes even an exercise test on a treadmill or bike
What special precautions should children with heart conditions and their coaches take during practices and/or competitions?
I’ll tell you that, regardless of whether a child has a heart condition, it’s important to ensure that an automated external defibrillator, or AED, is present somewhere close by. It’s important for it to be accessible at all practices and competitions for the safety of everyone, including the athletes, coaches, parents and other spectators.
If your child has a heart condition, it’s a good idea to have a conversation with their coach or athletic trainer to make sure they understand the diagnosis and anything specific they should know. This is another area your pediatric cardiologist is happy to help you with.
Organized competitions should always have a safety plan in place in case of a cardiac emergency. In most states, including Virginia, sports coaches and athletic trainers associated with schools are required to have an active CPR, AED and first aid certification. For non-school sponsored activities or leagues, I’d recommend parents ask about those certifications and ensure that similar safety plans are in place.
Do you have any patients that have really excelled at sports despite their heart condition?
I’ve got several kids who play soccer and a number of other sports at a pretty high level, and I also have the privilege to treat several kids heavily involved in the Special Olympics, which is so fun to hear about. Outside of our own patients, there are Olympic gold medalists with heart conditions. Shaun White, the famous Olympic snowboarder, has a condition called tetralogy of Fallot, which is a congenital heart condition involving four abnormalities that occur together, proving the sky is the limit!
How have recommendations changed regarding kids with heart conditions and their participation in sports?
I’d say that many years ago, there was a lot of hesitation to allow kids with cardiac disease to do anything but sit around. They were treated with kid gloves, and, despite good intentions, I think it was really a disservice to those patients and families. In most cases, we now know that kids can participate safely without much restriction and even if there are things we might recommend against, there are likely a lot of other options that will still allow them to be active participants in a variety of things!