According to a 2008 study in the Heart Rhythm Journal less than 1 in 10 U.S. student-athletes who suffer sudden cardiac arrest survive. Sudden cardiac arrest is a condition in which the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. When this happens, blood stops flowing to the brain and other vital organs. It usually causes death if it’s not treated within minutes. As a baby develops during pregnancy, there are normally several openings in the wall dividing the upper chamber