What You Can Do For Your Heart Rate
You should always aim to take good care of your heart. This includes exercising regularly, eating heart-healthy foods, minimizing alcohol, and maintaining a moderate weight.
Additionally, you should visit your doctor regularly for physicals. Not only is it good practice, but it can also help with the early detection of high cholesterol or blood pressure abnormalities.
If you already have heart disease, you should carefully monitor your condition and stick to your treatment plan. Take all medications as instructed by your doctor. Be sure to promptly report any new or worsening symptoms.
Other heart health tips include:
- Find ways to reduce stress. Examples include things like yoga or meditation.
- Limit your caffeine intake when possible. Using too much caffeine can increase heart rate.
- Limit intake of energy drinks.
- Moderate your intake of alcohol. Women should only have one drink or less per day while men should have two or fewer drinks per day.
- Quit smoking. Smoking increases your heart rate, and quitting can help bring it back down.
- Avoid cannabis. Cannabis use
Obtaining Accurate Blood Pressure Measurements:
- Different methods to measure Blood pressure: The mercury sphygmomanometer is the gold standard device for in-office blood pressure measurement
- The Auscultatory method
- The most widely used noninvasive method for measuring blood pressure.
- The preferred method for BP measurement in children
- Korotkoff technique
- Discovered by Dr. Nikolai Korotkov over 100 years ago.
- It involves blocking the brachial artery by inflating a cuff to above systolic blood pressure and gradually deflate to re-establish blood flow.
- The sounds detected by the stethoscope are known as Korotkoff sounds and are generally classified as phases I -V.
- Phase I appears as a tapping sound and corresponds to systolic blood pressure
- Phase V corresponds to diastolic blood pressure .
When To Call A Doctor
If you take your childs vital signs and they deviate significantly from the norms, you may need to call your childs doctor. Heres what to check for:
- You can count a childs respirations by putting your hand on your childs chest and feeling how often the chest rises and falls.
- You can measure a childs heart rate by feeling their brachial pulse, which is the pulse inside the crook or bend of the arm on your childs pinky finger side of the arm.
- Blood pressure can be checked using an automatic blood pressure cuff or a manual cuff and stethoscope. Note, however, that the size of the blood pressure cuff can affect the reading. An adult-sized cuff will often give an incorrect reading when used on a child.
Of course, you should get the above checked at your pediatricians office. If your child appears active and otherwise well, an abnormal vital sign is likely not a medical emergency, but warrants a phone call or office visit. If your child seems at all sick, be sure to get them emergency medical care right away.
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Why Might I Need Fetal Heart Monitoring
Fetal heart rate monitoring is especially helpful if you have a high-riskpregnancy. Your pregnancy is high risk if you have diabetes or high bloodpressure. It is also high risk if your baby is not developing or growing asit should.
Fetal heart rate monitoring may be used to check how preterm labormedicines are affecting your baby. These are medicines are used to helpkeep labor from starting too early.
Fetal heart rate monitoring may be used in other tests, including:
- Nonstress test. This measures the fetal heart rate as your baby moves.
- Contraction stress test. This measures fetal heart rate along with uterine contractions. Contractions are started with medicine or other methods.
- A biophysical profile. This test combines a nonstress test with ultrasound.
Things that may affect the fetal heart rate during labor:
- Uterine contractions
- Pushing during the second stage of labor
Your healthcare provider may have other reasons to use fetal heart ratemonitoring.
How Are Arrhythmias Treated
Many arrhythmias don’t need treatment. For those that do, these options might be used:
- Medicine. Doctors may prescribe anti-arrhythmic medicines depending on the type of arrhythmia and other considerations. Sometimes these can increase symptoms and cause side effects, so the doctor will closely monitor the patient.
- Pacemakers. A pacemaker is a small battery-operated device implanted into the body through a surgical procedure. Connected to the heart by a wire, a pacemaker can detect if the heart rate is too slow and send electrical signals to speed up the heartbeat.
- Defibrillators. A small battery-operated implantable cardioverter defibrillator is surgically placed near the left collarbone. Wires run from the defibrillator to the heart. The ICD senses if the heart has a dangerously fast or irregular rhythm and sends an electrical signal to restore a normal heartbeat.
- Catheter ablation. A doctor guides catheter through a vein in the leg to the heart. Arrhythmias often are caused by microscopic defects in the heart muscle. When the problem area of the heart is found, the doctor uses the catheter to heat or freeze the defective muscle cells and destroys them.
- Surgery. Surgery is usually done only if all other options fail. The child will get anesthesia to sleep through the procedure and not feel pain, then a surgeon will remove the tissue causing the arrhythmia.
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Assessments For Newborn Babies
Each newborn baby is carefully checked at birth for signs of problems or complications. The healthcare provider will do a complete physical exam that includes every body system. Throughout the hospital stay, doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers continually look at the health of the baby. They are watching for signs of problems or illness. Assessments may include the below.
If Your Newborns Heart Beats Too Slowly
An atypically slow heartbeat is known as bradycardia. These types of arrhythmias are less common than tachycardias in newborns. They include:
- Sinus bradycardia. This is a slow heart rate caused by an irregular signal coming from the sinus node, the hearts pacemaker and the origin of electrical impulses that cause the heart to contract. Sinus bradycardia in newborns is unusual. When it occurs, its often the result of gastroesophageal reflux or immature respiratory control that may resolve on its own.
- Heart block. This refers to the blockage of an electrical impulse within the heart. Its also known as atrioventricular block and may be temporary or permanent.
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Summary: Fetal Doppler Heart Rate Ranges
The normal fetal doppler heart rate ranges from 120-160 bpm. This will vary based on the day and your pregnancy stage. While a babys heart rate is elevated around 9 weeks, it will decline by week 14 as they mature.
If you use a fetal doppler to check your baby a few days apart, you may get a slightly different reading. Some fluctuation is normal. If you notice sudden rises or drops in your babys heart rate or any other major changes, contact your healthcare provider.
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How Can I Check My Child’s Heart Rate
Measuring your child’s pulse is easy. There are several places on the body where you can check the pulse including the wrist, inside the elbow or the side of the neck. For most parents, the wrist is the easiest, most accessible place. To check your child’s heart rate, place two fingers on their wrist, below their thumb. Apply gentle pressure until you can feel a slight beat against your fingertips. Count how many beats you feel in 15 seconds. Then multiply that number by 4 to determine your child’s heart rate, which is measured in beats per minute.
For instance, if you feel 20 beats in 15 seconds, your child’s heart rate is 80 beats per minute, a normal rate.
However, you may not be able to easily find a pulse in infants or younger children who have smaller blood vessels. A medical professional with experience in caring for children will likely need to take their pulse.
“If you’re not familiar with taking a pulse, it may take a few tries until you become more comfortable and confident,” says Dr. Kane. “The best thing to do if you are concerned is to have a person with medical training check it for you.”
If your child has a heart condition requiring heart rate monitoring, your doctor can teach you how to find their pulse and take their heart rate. Some wearable devices and smartphones can also read the heart rate with good accuracy.
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What Can Change A Child’s Heart Rate
Just as in adults, a child’s heart rate will vary depending on the activity level, whether asleep or awake, and whether your child is healthy or ill, calm or stressed.
“Your child’s heart rate is typically not linked to an intrinsic heart problem,” says Dr. Kane. “Their heart rate can go up with anything that makes them excited or uncomfortable. When this happens, it’s just a natural response to stress.”
A child might have a fast heart rate if they are:
- Playing or exercising vigorously
- Experiencing a fever or illness
- Drinking a lot of caffeine or energy drinks
If your child is experiencing any of the above, a fast heart rate is typically not a cause for concern, though drinking a lot of caffeine can cause problems in some children. Also, remember that your child’s heart naturally beats faster than an adult heart and can get much faster during exercise than an adult heart rate.
However, if your child is experiencing symptoms such as chest pain or trouble breathing along with a fast heart rate, they may need medical attention. Dr. Kane says a good rule of thumb is if your child’s heart is beating too fast for you to count the beats, then medical help may be needed.
A child typically experiences a slower heart rate when sleeping. However, if their heart rate is slow in the middle of the day and they show symptoms of lethargy or experience fainting, they may need medical help.
What Is The Outlook For Neonatal Arrhythmia
The outlook for babies born with arrhythmia depends primarily on the type of rhythm difference theyre experiencing. It also depends on how early doctors diagnose and manage the arrhythmia.
A 2022 study suggests that, compared with infants with benign arrhythmias, babies with non-benign arrhythmias have higher rates of recurrence and mortality.
However, a report by the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Society suggests that with early diagnosis and the right treatment at the outset, you can avoid many life threatening events and good quality of life can be possible.
The report also notes that short- and long-term care for a child with an arrhythmia may require several different treatments, including medications, implanted devices, and surgery or cardiac catheterization.
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Converting Grams To Pounds And Ounces:
1 lb. = 453.59237 grams 1 oz. = 28.349523 grams 1000 grams = 1 Kg.
Pounds
The hospital staff takes other measurements of each baby. These include:
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Head circumference. The distance around the baby’s head.
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Abdominal circumference. The distance around the belly .
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Length. The measurement from top of head to the heel.
The staff also checks these vital signs:
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Temperature. This checks that the baby is able to have a stable body temperature in normal room.
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Pulse. A newborns pulse is normally 120 to 160 beats per minute.
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Breathing rate. A newborns breathing rate is normally 40 to 60 breaths per minute.
Diagnosing The Underlying Cause
Your doctor may use a variety of diagnostic tools to help diagnose your condition, including:
- Holter or event monitor. This is a smaller, portable EKG machine you wear for a set amount of time to help your doctor monitor your electrocardiographic signals.
- Electrocardiogram. Also referred to as an ECG or EKG, this diagnostic tool uses small electrodes to record the electrical activity of your heart. Your doctor can use the information collected to determine if heart abnormalities are contributing to your condition.
- Stress test. Sometimes called a treadmill test or excercise test, this can help diagnose people whose symptoms may be exercise related.
- A tilt-table test. This measures how your blood pressure and heart rate respond when you go from lying down to standing up. People dealing with fainting spells are usually candidates for a tilt-table test.
- Imaging tests. Imaging can be used to assess if there are any structural abnormalities in your heart that may be contributing to your condition. Possible imaging tests can include echocardiogram, CT scan, and MRI scan.
- Electrophysiologictesting. Done under local anesthesia, this procedure involves temporary electrode catheters being threaded through veins or arteries into the heart to record the hearts electrical signals.
Once a diagnosis is made, your doctor will work with you to develop a plan to treat and manage your condition.
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Key Points To Remember
- Supraventricular tachycardia is an abnormally rapid heart rate up to 300 beats per minute in infants and 250 beats per minute or faster in older children.
- A physician should evaluate any irregular heartbeat.
- SVT is the result of an electrical malfunction in the heart.
- Although generally not life-threatening, SVT may cause chest discomfort, a racing heart, dizziness, and in rare cases, people may lose consciousness.
- Infants with SVT often outgrow the disorder, but persistent problems can require medications or catheter ablation.
What Is The Midwife Listening To
The normal range for the rate of the babys heartbeat is between 110 and 160 beats a minute, although this can be higher or lower without meaning that the baby is in difficulty. The variation in the babys heart rate may be caused by the womb contracting, which affects the blood flow to the placenta . This is normal and most babies cope without any difficulty.
If your baby is not coping well, this may well be reflected in the pattern of their heartbeat.
As well as monitoring your babys heartbeat, your pulse will also be checked in order to tell the difference between them.
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What Abnormal Results Mean
Resting heart rates that are continually high may mean a problem. Talk to your health care provider about this. Also discuss resting heart rates that are below the normal values ( bradycardia
A pulse that is very firm and that lasts for more than a few minutes should be checked by your provider as well. An irregular pulse can also indicate a problem.
A pulse that is hard to locate may mean blockages in the artery. These blockages are common in people with diabetes or hardening of the artery from high cholesterol. Your provider may order a test known as a Doppler study
What Is Fetal Heart Monitoring
Fetal heart rate monitoring measures the heart rate and rhythm of your baby. This lets your healthcare provider see how your baby is doing.
Your healthcare provider may do fetal heart monitoring during latepregnancy and labor. The average fetal heart rate is between 110 and 160beats per minute. It can vary by 5 to 25 beats per minute. The fetal heartrate may change as your baby responds to conditions in your uterus. Anabnormal fetal heart rate may mean that your baby is not getting enoughoxygen or that there are other problems.
There are 2 ways to do fetal heart monitoring, external and internal:
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What Are The Types Of Arrhythmias
There are many types of arrhythmias, including:
Premature Atrial Contraction and Premature Ventricular Contraction
Premature contractions are usually considered minor arrhythmias. The person may feel a fluttering or pounding in the chest caused by an early or extra beat. PACs and PVCs are very common, and are what happens when it feels like your heart “skips” a beat. In this case, the heart doesn’t skip a beat an extra beat comes sooner than normal. Occasional premature beats are common and considered normal, but sometimes they can be a sign of an underlying medical problem or heart condition.
Tachycardias
A tachycardia is an abnormally fast heartbeat. Tachycardias fall into two main categories supraventricular and ventricular:
- Supraventricular tachycardia is characterized by bursts of fast heartbeats that start in the upper chambers of the heart, closer to the sinus node. These can happen suddenly and last anywhere from a few seconds to several days. Treatment is usually recommended if SVTs are long-lasting or happen often.
- Ventricular tachycardia is a serious but uncommon condition that starts in the lower chambers of the heart and can be dangerous.
Bradycardias
A bradycardia is an abnormally slow heartbeat. Bradycardias can be due to:
When To See A Doctor
If a higher heart rate is a result of being under stress or consuming a lot of alcohol or caffeine, thats not typically a cause for alarm. However, these situations still warrant a discussion with your clinician, as they can discuss with you how to best address any necessary lifestyle changes.
Meanwhile, adults without an acute condition that might cause an elevated heart rate may also want to contact their doctor if their resting heart rate remains above 100 beats per minute for a few days, says Dr. Tilahun.
If the heart rate is persistently elevated for more than a few days and there is absence of a clear thing that can explain it, that should be a time to talk to your doctor, he says.
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