Which of the following is considered an early sign of heart failure in children?

Tachypnea is recognized as an early sign of heart failure in children due to its correlation with respiratory distress and compromised cardiac function. When the heart struggles to pump effectively, it can lead to poor oxygen delivery to tissues and organs, prompting faster breathing as the body attempts to compensate for decreased oxygen levels. This increased respiratory rate can be a direct reaction to the insufficient cardiac output seen in heart failure situations.

In contrast, bradycardia, which refers to an abnormally slow heart rate, is typically not an early sign of heart failure and may indicate severe cardiac dysfunction instead. Weight loss is often associated with a prolonged condition and can occur due to decreased appetite or increased metabolic demands but is not an immediate indicator of heart failure. Palpitations, while they may occur, are not commonly observed in the early stages of heart failure in children and can be associated with other conditions. Thus, increased respiratory rate is the most direct and immediate response observed in early heart failure cases, making tachypnea a key sign to monitor in pediatric patients.