Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Doctors in Texas screen sixth-graders for heart defects and disease

"In the U.S. there is a debate about whether young athletes should undergo mandatory screening before playing sports. But now, some doctors in Texas have come to believe that all children, athletes or not, should be screened. Brandon Williams was only 13 years old when he suffered a fatal heart attack. Austin Sergeev was even younger - only 11 - when his heart stopped beating. Children as young as eight have experienced sudden cardiac arrest. In Italy, young athletes have a thorough medical exam that includes an electrocardiogram. The program has reduced the number of incidents of sudden cardiac arrest, or heart attack, in these athletes." - VOA News

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