Patient's question:
My child is a premature baby and has been found to have a fast heart rate. What should I do?Doctor's answer:
Premature infants have a fast heart rate, which is common in children without organic heart disease. It can be caused by fatigue, tension, or autonomic nervous system instability, but it can also occur in myocarditis, congenital heart disease, and rheumatic heart disease. Additionally, sympathetic neuroamine, digitalis, quinine poisoning, and drugs such as hypoxia, acid-base imbalance, electrolyte disorders (hypokalemia), cardiac catheterization, and heart surgery can all cause premature beats. 1%-2% of healthy school-aged children have premature beats.