What is a heart arrhythmia?
The normal heart beats 60-80 times per minute. In newborns, the normal heart rate is about 140 beats per minute. Sometimes there is a change in the normal sequence of electrical impulses that causes the heart to beat either too fast (more than 100 beats per minute) or too slow (less than 60 beats per minute). When this disturbance to a heart rhythm occurs, the child or teen has an arrhythmia. Children and teens with the following types of arrhythmia disorders receive treatment at the Akron Children’s Hospital Arrhythmia Center: • Supraventricular tachycardia – a rapid heart rate that involves both the upper (atria) and lower (ventricles) heart chambers. Signs include an abrupt onset of palpitations (rapid heart beats); shortness of breath; light-headedness; pallor (extreme paleness); chest pain; nausea; and rarely, fainting. • Ventricular tachycardia – a rapid heart rate that involves only the lower heart chamber. Palpitations are not always present with VT. Signs include fainting, sei
