Undiagnosed Heart Disease Leading to Sudden Unexpected Death in Childhood: A Retrospective Study

103 children (0 to 17 years of age, mean age 2.9 ± 4.2 years, 51 male, 52 female) who experienced sudden unexpected cardiac death (SUCD) attributable to undiagnosed structural heart disease within 24 hours of clinical presentation, identified from 4926 autopsies at a single center in Canada between 1984 and 2003. Excluded: multiple or thoracic trauma and chronic or multisystem disease.

Demographic features, pathological conditions, and frequency of premonitory symptoms in sudden unexpected cardiac death (SUCD)