Parenting: Can children suffer high blood pressure?

Q: Dear Doctor,
My three-year-old son's heart pumps a lot. Although he seems to be growing well, he easily get  tired and does not play much.

He goes to bed early unlike his siblings who I have to force to go to bed. What could be his problem?

Worried Mother

A: Dear Worried Mother,

Yes, children can suffer from hypertension. However, for your three-year-old son, the problem may not necessarily be high blood pressure.

Most probably he might be having a cardiac (heart) problem which could be a congenital. Fast heartbeat is called tachycardia, which is due to various reasons other than hypertension.

This can be due to poor blood supply to the heart due to coronary artery disease, heart failure, tumours or infections. The fact that your son gets easily tired calls for a cardiac evaluation.

See a paediatric cardiologist for further consultations.