title: Perinatal arrhythmias.
abstract: Cardiac arrhythmias are very frequent in fetuses and newborns. The prognosis depends on the nature of the arrhythmias but is most often either spontaneously benign or following short-term medication administration. A correct diagnosis is essential for both management and prognosis. It is based on echocardiography during the fetal period and mainly on history, physical exam, and electrocardiogram after birth, but other modalities are available to record transient arrhythmic events. Irregular rhythms are mostly benign and rarely require therapy. In most fetuses and infants, tachyarrhythmias resolve spontaneously or require short-term administration of antiarrhythmics. Approximately one third of these may recur later on, especially during adolescence. Persistent bradyarrhythmias might require pacemaker implantation when associated with failure to thrive or with risk of sudden death.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Arrhythmias in fetuses and infants are very common and mostly benign. History, physical exam, and recording of the arrhythmia are essential to make a correct diagnosis and establish an appropriate management for the rare potentially harmful arrhythmias.
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Division, Pediatrics Department, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois and University of Lausanne, Route du Bugnon 46, Bureau BH11/632, 1011, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sekarski
authors.forename: Erik Jan
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Meijboom
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Di Bernardo
authors.forename: Tatiana Boulos
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Ksontini
authors.forename: Yvan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mivelaz
mesh_terms: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D004452:Echocardiography; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011247:Pregnancy; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal
chemical_list: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents
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