Cardiac arrest occurs when the heart is not pumping strongly enough to provide blood to vital organs. Cardiopulmonary arrest is sudden cessation of breathing and of effective heart function. These and other similar conditions block the supply of oxygen to an area of the heart, leading to damage or death of the cells in that area. Most often, this occurs in a coronary artery that has been narrowed from changes related to atherosclerosis . Babies and children rarely suffer heart attacks .
Heart disease is extremely rare in infants and children.
The primary cause for cardiac arrest in children is respiratory arrest . This may occur for a number of reasons including drowning, suffocation, electrical shock, anaphylaxis, poisoning, illness, and foreign body aspiration . Heart attacks may cause immediate cardiac arrest or may progress to cardiac arrest. However, not every heart attack causes cardiac arrest. Many people die before they reach a hospital.