Question
I went to the local hospital today and they said the baby has an irregular heartbeat, sometimes it jumps up to 90. I also had hypothyroidism checked before, could this be related? When I did the fetal monitoring and 4D scan, the baby’s heartbeat and heart were fine. Why is there an irregular heartbeat?
Answer
The sinoatrial node is the highest “command center” of the heart’s beating, so a normal heart must have a normal sinoatrial node, and a normal sinoatrial node has strong autonomicity. The rhythm formed by sinoatrial node excitation is called sinoatrial rhythm. Premature complexes are the most common type of arrhythmia, caused by premature beats from an ectopic pacemaker. In healthy individuals with good physical condition, premature contractions are common. If it’s occasional and asymptomatic, it usually does not require medication.