brachycardia? daughters heart beat irregular

[mothermucka]

i have been checking my daughters heart beat at night (just started randomly as often i have a slow beat here and there and wondered if she did to) the first night i checked her her heart beat had a very odd rythm with it slowing down a lot then speeding up. so i kept checking her. now everynight there is usually a skipped few beats until it speeds up to a normal rythm, but will also slow down to these weird slower beats. i have taken her to the doctor for it and she has heard the odd rythm but only very faintly as it mainly occurs when she is asleep.
any ideas on what is could be? shes 4 years old and healthy. i dont no whether im worrying for nothing? im 9 months pregnant so very emotional about this weird heart beat an am terrified of waking in the morning to find her blue (paranoid!) i am unsure if its a serious thing or not or when to get urgent help.

thanks heaps
crystal

[itdood]

It's probably sinus arrhythmia, which is totally normal and especially pronounced in young children. Sinus arrhythmia makes gas exchange more efficient when we breath.  It speeds up the heart during inhales and slows it down during exhale.  
Sinus arrhythmia is especcialy pronounced in young children.  Totally noraml, everyone has it to some degree.  

[cindy707]

I remember when my kids were that age and i was worried about them as well.  You need to remember that arrthymias are not hereditary or anything that has to do with the electrical activity of your childs heart.  Her heart is her own...period.  The only thing that could figure into the equation would be later in life and the risk groups for being predisposed to a heart attack or a higher risk group and only if anyone in your family had died from one before the age of 50 and she has a long way to go.  I know you sound worried about her and that is understandable but she is basically out of the risk group at this age for SIDS and i am sure will grow up to be healthy , happy and there to terrorize her new little sister and brother which is her fate i am sure!!!  You need to relax and enjoy your pregnancy and get your little girl acclimated that she is about to share your life with someone else.  I would advise strongly of transferring your fears onto her....as TatiSD just wisely wrote a huge percentage of children grow out of child onset of anything so i am sure she is safe....good luck....don't worry and enjoy your family.  Her heart, lungs, etc. are still growing so i am definately not surprised that her HR is inconsistant.....there is movement and growth that will keep occuring until she is in her mid to late teens....think of an ocean that is ebbing back and forth.....have a great weekend..................

[TatiSD]

Hello, When my son was young, I would also check his heartbeats while sleeping, since I suffer with pvc's.  He was very irregular which threw me for a loop, and had him tested by a cardiologist.  They found first degree heart block (sounds worse than what it is) and over the years he outgrew it.  It was not recommended that he abstain from regular exercise and no precautions were given.  He is now almost 19 with no problems.
Young kids have a more obvious change in rhythm due to their breathing which is probably deeper while asleep.  So the rhythm increases and decreases according to the inhalation and exhalation, which is very possible that that's what you're observing.
While my son was young, and because I was (am) paranoid, I started taking my friends' kids' pulses and most of them showed some irregularity.
Like your pediatrician, my son's also did not show any concern and they hear plenty of hearts daily.  Maybe ask one more pediatrician (if yours belongs to a group), just to assure yourself.  I had to force myself to stop listening and let him be since he was active without being out of breath which is a very good indicator of normalcy.
Take care.