Mitral Valve Prolapse: Children Who Play Sports

If you have a child with mitral valve prolapse (MVP) and are concerned about your child playing in sports activities, talk with your child's doctor.

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 likely 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. Other testing may be needed by people who have 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.)