Sports participation for children with mitral valve prolapse

If you have a child with mitral valve prolapse (MVP) and are concerned about your child playing in sports activities, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that participation in sports activities be based on the following guidelines:¹

• If your child does not have symptoms of mitral valve regurgitation and the family has no history of sudden death associated with MVP, your child can participate in sports activities without additional special testing.
• If your child has palpitations, an irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia), near-fainting or fainting episodes, or symptoms of mitral valve regurgitation, he or she needs to be evaluated by a heart specialist before playing in sports activities. Additional testing may be needed in people with these symptoms, including a 24-hour ambulatory electrocardiogram (Holter monitor) and an exercise electrocardiogram. (For more information on these tests, see the Exams and Tests section of the topic Mitral Valve Prolapse.)

Citations

1. American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Sports Medicine and Fitness (2001). Medical conditions affecting sports participation. Pediatrics, 107(5): 1205–1209.