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Cases of COVID-19 can cause heart injury in young children, according to a case report and a warning from the American College of Cardiology.
Myocardial lesions have been reported in a number of adult patients since the early days of coronavirus pandemic, but it has been speculated that most children will be asymptomatic of the infection.
Studies have found that up to 28% of adult patients hospitalized with COVID-19 they also developed myocardial lesions, although most of these adults had pre-existing cardiovascular disease.
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Similar injuries could occur in babies with the disease, according to a new warning, based on the case report of a two-month-old baby who suffered reversible myocardial injury and heart failure after being diagnosed with COVID-19.
According to the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, the baby – whose first test for the virus came back negative – presented with choking and bluish discoloration of the skin after feeding.
A subsequent test for the virus returned a positive result.
The baby was born premature at 33 weeks and spent the first three weeks of his life in a natal intensive care unit, receiving one week of continuous positive nasal airway pressure.
They had no history of “fever, cough, upper respiratory tract infection symptoms, diarrhea, vomiting, or decreased nutrition before the first presentation,” the ACC said.
When the doctors performed an electrocardiogram they found that the coronavirus infection had caused the injury to the baby’s heart muscles and also exacerbated the symptoms of heart failure.
Further testing ruled out all other possible viral causes for the heart injury.
The child received fluid resuscitation and mechanical ventilation for respiratory failure, as well as the experimental drug remdesivir under a compassionate use order.
After treatment, the baby recovered with normal heart function and was discharged without receiving any heart failure medication.
“This patient’s presentation and clinical course mirror four clinical cases of acute myocardial injury reported in adult patients with COVID-19,” said Dr Madhu Sharma, lead author of the case report and pediatric cardiologist at Montefiore Children’s Hospital.
“Most children with COVID-19 are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms, but our case shows the potential for reversible myocardial damage in newborns with COVID-19.
“Testing for COVID-19 in children with signs and symptoms of heart failure is very important as we learn more about the impact of this virus,” added Dr. Sharma.
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