Sudden death in sports.

I have stressed the known medical and environmental factors associated with unexpected, sudden death in sports in children, and I have recommended restrictions or environmental alterations to prevent sudden death associated with an individual sport. Medical problems such as cardiomyopathies, posterior mitral valve leaflet syndrome, and underlying congenital heart problems have been related, when possible, to their role in sudden deaths related to sport. I have emphasized the abnormalities of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, Marfan's syndrome, and the need to monitor constantly the medical, environmental, and safety factors for all sports in which our youth now actively participate.