Although HCM is fairly common in adults, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is rare in children. Children with HCM don’t typically have symptoms until late childhood or early teens. If they do experience symptoms, the most common is low stamina with shortness of breath and chest pain during exercise. As they age, the heart’s chronic overwork over time can cause heart enlargement and congestive heart failure symptoms.
Infection prevention. Children with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy are at increased risk for subacute bacterial endocarditis (SBE), an infection of the heart caused when bacteria enter the blood stream. This impacts children with heart defects because of the altered flow of blood through the heart and/or abnormal heart valves. There are many causes of SBE, but it often occurs after dental work or medical procedures on the GI or respiratory tract. Doctors will typically prescribe an antibiotic before these procedures in order to prevent SBE.