Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome in Infants and Children

Concealed pre-excitation causing paroxysmal reciprocating atrioventricular tachycardia in infancy.

“…The severity of symptoms in paroxysmal tachycardia in infants relates more closely to duration of the episode than to the rate (Hubbard, 1941) which again emphasises the necessity ofhaving an index ofsuspicion of the underlying problem. Fortunately one of our patients (Case 2) was resuscitated after cardiac arrest but infant deaths have been reported directly referable to the tachycardia (Werley, 1925;Kimball and Burch, 1947;Silverman and Werner, 1950;Engle, 1952) and it is conceivable that paroxysmal tachycardia may be a cause of sudden death in a seemingly healthy infant . Deaths have also been related to treatment (Nadas et al, 1952).…”