How can a doctor tell if heart palpitations are cause for concern?
Your primary care doctor will consider factors such as the frequency and intensity of the heart palpitations and your child’s medical history. In the majority of cases, no treatment is necessary for heart palpitations. Your doctor may make general recommendations, such as cutting back on caffeinated soda or increasing routine hydration. Or, you may be given a referral to a pediatric cardiologist, a doctor who specializes in heart problems in children. He or she will perform a full evaluation of your child’s health, including getting a medical history and performing an examination, as well as possibly ordering heart tests such as an electrocardiogram, echocardiogram, stress test (on a bicycle or treadmill) or, rarely, cardiac catheterization. Your child may have to wear a Holter monitor, which records the heart rhythm over 24 hours. Another type of monitor that your doctor may have your child wear is a loop recorder, which is worn for one month but records only when the child pushes a b
