Yes. Sudden cardiac arrest can affect children and young people, and it is more common than most people realise. It usually happens because of an inherited heart condition that has not been identified — often because the child had no obvious symptoms beforehand.
Conditions that can cause cardiac arrest in children and teenagers include:
CPVT (Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia) — triggered by exercise or sudden fright, often presenting in the first two decades of life.
Long QT Syndrome — which can cause dangerous arrhythmias during exercise, swimming, or in response to sudden loud noise, and sometimes during sleep.
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) — the most common inherited heart muscle condition, which can affect young people and is associated with exercise-triggered events.
ARVC (Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy) — a genetic condition that can affect young adults, particularly those who exercise regularly.
This is one reason why cardiac screening of young athletes, and the families of anyone who has experienced a young sudden death or been diagnosed with an inherited cardiac condition, is so important. If a child in your family has been diagnosed with an inherited heart condition, all first-degree relatives — including siblings — should be assessed by a specialist.