Pediatric Myocarditis Overview
Learn About Pediatric Myocarditis
View Main Condition: Myocarditis
Pediatric myocarditis is inflammation of the heart muscle in an infant or young child.
Myocarditis is rare in young children. It is slightly more common in older children and adults. It is often worse in newborns and young infants than in children over age 2.
Most cases in children are caused by a virus that reaches the heart. These can include:
- Influenza (flu) virus
- Coxsackie virus
- Parovirus
- Adenovirus
- SARS-CoV-2 virus (the virus that causes COVID-19)
It may also be caused by bacterial infections such as Lyme disease.
Other causes of pediatric myocarditis include:
- Allergic reactions to certain medicines
- Exposure to chemicals in the environment
- Infections due to fungus or parasites
- Radiation
- Some diseases (autoimmune disorders) that cause inflammation throughout the body
- Some drugs
Myocarditis following COVID-19 vaccination has been reported, but is very rare.
The heart muscle may be directly damaged by the virus or the bacteria that infect it. The body's immune response can also damage the heart muscle (called the myocardium) in the process of fighting the infection. This can lead to symptoms of heart failure.
Symptoms may be mild at first and hard to detect. Sometimes in newborns and infants, symptoms may appear suddenly.
Symptoms may include:
- Anxiety
- Failure to thrive or poor weight gain
- Feeding difficulties
- Fever and other symptoms of infection
- Listlessness
- Low urine output (a sign of decreasing kidney function)
- Pale, cool hands and feet (a sign of poor circulation)
- Rapid breathing
- Rapid heart rate
Symptoms in children over age 2 may also include:
- Belly area pain and nausea
- Chest pain
- Cough
- Fatigue
- Shortness of breath
- Swelling (edema) in the legs, feet, and face
There is no cure for myocarditis. The heart muscle inflammation will often go away on its own.
The goal of treatment is to support heart function until the inflammation goes away. Many children with this condition are admitted to a hospital. Activity often needs to be limited while the heart is inflamed because it can strain the heart.
Treatment may include:
- Antibiotics to fight bacterial infection
- Anti-inflammatory medicines called steroids to control inflammation
- Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), a medicine made of substances (called antibodies) that the body produces to fight infection, to control the inflammatory process
- Mechanical support using a machine to help the heart function (in extreme cases)
- Medicines to treat symptoms of heart failure
- Medicines to treat abnormal heart rhythms
St Lukes Methodist Hospital
Boothapuri Venkatesh is a Cardiologist in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Dr. Venkatesh and is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Pediatric Myocarditis. His top areas of expertise are Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF), Heart Failure, Pulmonary Edema, Ectopic Heartbeat, and Pacemaker Implantation. Dr. Venkatesh is currently accepting new patients.
Mercy Medical Center
Miruais Hamed is a Cardiologist in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Dr. Hamed has been practicing medicine for over 12 years and is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Pediatric Myocarditis. His top areas of expertise are Arrhythmias, High Cholesterol, Sick Sinus Syndrome, and Atrial Fibrillation. Dr. Hamed is currently accepting new patients.
Mercy Medical Center
Susan Schima is a Cardiologist in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Dr. Schima and is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Pediatric Myocarditis. Her top areas of expertise are Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF), Pulmonary Edema, Atherosclerosis, Endocarditis, and Pacemaker Implantation. Dr. Schima is currently accepting new patients.
Recovery from myocarditis depends on the cause of the problem and the child's overall health. Most children recover completely with proper treatment. However, some may have permanent heart disease.
Newborns have the highest risk for serious disease and complications (including death) due to myocarditis. In rare cases, severe damage to the heart muscle requires a heart transplant.
Complications may include:
- Enlargement of the heart that leads to reduced heart function (dilated cardiomyopathy)
- Heart failure
- Heart rhythm problems
Contact your child's provider if signs or symptoms of this condition occur.
There is no known prevention. However, prompt testing and treatment may reduce the disease risk.
Summary: Myocarditis is a complex inflammatory disease, usually occurring secondary to viral infections, autoimmune processes or toxic agents. Clinical presentations are multiple, including chest-pain, heart failure and a broad spectrum of arrhythmias. In turn, outcome is largely unpredictable, ranging from mild self-limiting disease, to chronic stage and progressive evolution towards dilated cardiomyopath...
Summary: There are hundred of arbovirus which have been shown to cause disease in humans. Their most common clinical symptoms are algo-eruptive (dengue, chikungunya, zika), hemorrhagic fever (dengue, yellow fever, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever), neurological (West Nile, Zika, dengue, Japanese encephalitis) or arthritic afflictions (Chikungunya, O'nyong nyong). Dengue is a mosquito-born viral disease caus...
Published Date: February 17, 2024
Published By: Charles I. Schwartz, MD, FAAP, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, General Pediatrician at PennCare for Kids, Phoenixville, PA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Safety of COVID-19 vaccines. www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/safety/safety-of-vaccines.html. Updated November 3, 2023. Accessed February 26, 2024.
Knowlton KU, Anderson JL, Savoia MC, Oxman MN. Myocarditis and pericarditis. In: Bennett JE, Dolin R, Blaser MJ, eds. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 84.
McNamara DM. Heart failure as a consequence of viral and nonviral myocarditis. In: Felker GM, Mann DL, eds. Heart Failure: A Companion to Braunwald's Heart Disease. 4th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 28.
Parent JJ, Ware SM. Diseases of the myocardium. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, Shah SS, Tasker RC, Wilson KM, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 466.