The following is a transcript of a report by medical editor Marilyn Brooks that first aired Aug. 31, 2007, on WTAE Channel 4 Action News at 5 p.m.

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No matter the sport or the age, children play hard and they can get hurt.

But there is something else to worry about. More than 200 die each year from sudden cardiac death.

"They go out and play sports, and sometimes it's not even with the most vigorous activity, and they suddenly drop over," said Dr. Lee Beerman, director of arrhythmia services at UPMC.

Matt Funk, 15, plays baseball -- but he wasn't playing when it happened to him last August.

"The last thing I remember was sitting in a tree, resting and catching my breath. That's the last thing I remember," he said.

While his brother called for help, a 16-year-old friend began CPR until help arrived and shocked Funk's heart back to life.

Unlike most children, Funk was born with heart defects. Those defects were corrected before he was 6 months old, and he was closely followed for a slight risk.

"I always felt I would see warning signs because I was on top of things with the heart condition, but never in my wildest dreams a sudden collapse," said Funk's mother, Beth.

A small cardiac pacemaker now sits under the skin of Matt Funk's chest to make sure that what happened to him last year will never happen again.

"It's to pace your heart when it goes high, and it's to shock you when your heart goes low enough," Funk said.

What happened to him can happen to any child -- especially one who plays sports.

Experts say closer scrutiny by parents and pediatricians would help. A detailed physical with focused attention on personal and family history is a must

"Does their son or daughter complain of chest pain? Have they ever had passing-out spells, or do they say their heart's racing at a sudden point that it doesn't make sense for it to be racing?" Beeman said.

Parents should also tell doctors about anything on this list:

Sudden death in the family before age 50 from heart disease.

Heart disability in a close relative.

Any cardiac condition in family members.

Any connective tissue disorders such as Marfan syndrome.

Matt Funk has been cleared to play baseball again, but he'll wear a special chest cover to protect his pacemaker and heart.

He and his mother know about his condition. The problem is, other parents and children do not.

All too often, a preschool physical is nothing more than a quick listen to the chest and a few shots. Experts say if your child is going to play sports, you should insist on a heart-focused screening. It may just save your child's life.

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More:
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