Can a child grow out of an abnormal heart rate?

[skleep]

I found out that my boyfriend (who is 26 now) had a fast, somewhat abnormal heart rate as a young child.  His mother said she took him to the doctor, who said it was no big deal and that he would grow out of it.  He says it went away over time and now he's fine.  It's probably been 20+ years since this happened and (knock on wood) he hasn't shown any signs of a bad heart.

I want to believe this story, but I am worried that it's something far more serious than that because I've never heard of a child growing out of a heart rate issue!  He has been to many doctors since then for annual checkups, his blood pressure is perfect, so I'm not sure what is going on but I want to make sure he's OK.  Should I take his mother's word?  Can a child really grow out of a heart issue/?

[skleep]

No he doesn't, he is about 5'10" and 160 lb, very active and eats better than I do.  His lifestyle definitely isn't a problem :) he does drink, but not that much.

[MichelleP_3811]

I would think by 26 he would have had something occur out of the ordinary but not necessarily.  They can pop up at anytime.  The thing to keep in mind though is that most arrhythmias are fairly benign if they occur in a healthy heart.  Even ones that may seem a bit more threatening like VT in a healthy heart is not a death sentence.  The heart is a very resilient muscle and it can keep on beating through all sorts of issues so unless someone is having symptoms that disrupt a person's ability to function they generally don't even treat the patient.  I had an svt my whole life where I would every so often fall into a very fast rhythm.  It was very rare in my childhood and only really got more frequent in my 30s.  I had it corrected a few years ago I'm now in my 40s.  And even having it all my life I am told my heart is still fit as a fiddle so if your boyfriends heart has been evaluated to be healthy then he really need not worry unless he lives a very unhealthy lifestyle.    It doesn't sound like he does.

[skleep]

Thanks!  Yes, he's been to numerous doctors (not cardiologists specifically, just ordinary doctors) pretty much his whole life.  none of them have noticed anything weird, apparently his last doctor complimented him on his great blood pressure or something.  By now, would some issue have shown up?

[MichelleP_3811]

Without knowing specifically what event occurred if it was even an event I will go by what I understand and that is all children have faster heart rates than adults.  They also generally have what is called sinus arrhythmia.  This is a condition where the heart rate can vary between inhaling and exhaling.  We all have it but it is considered an arrhythmia when the rate difference is fairly marked by like 20 or more beats per minute.  Most children will out grow both of these issues.  They actually aren't even considered an issue even if one carries these issues into adulthood.  If your boyfriend is fine now as defined by a doctor checkup then he likely has nothing to be concerned about.  That said, if something occurs then just have him go and get checked out.  Take care.