NJ Bill Aims To Protect Student Athletes From Cardiac Arrest

By Michelle Durham

TRENTON, NJ (CBS) - There's a new bill that will be introduced in Trenton that would require health care providers to conduct a more thorough cardiac screening for student athletes and medical professionals are counting on parents to help too.

Cooper University Hospital's Chief of Cardiology, Dr. Perry Weinstock, was on the task force that helped develop this legislation. How common is this problem of sudden cardiac arrest in student athletes?

"The incidents in high school is estimated to be 1-in-200,000."

Weinstock says screening kids and teens for cardiac issues is somewhat different then screening adults and this bill encourages healthcare professionals to take an online certification course.

"Part of this bill is to encourage parents to be more careful and precise when giving the medical history of the child."

Weinstock says the health form comes home in the backpack with everything else and gets filled out at the last minute and he is urging you to really answer each question carefully.