What is a common cause of cardiogenic shock in infants?

Cardiogenic shock in infants is primarily characterized by the heart's inability to pump blood effectively, leading to inadequate blood flow to meet the body's needs. Viral infections can lead to myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle, which compromises the heart's pumping ability. Conditions such as enteroviral infections or respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are known to affect the heart and can result in cardiogenic shock.

While dehydration, blood loss, and sepsis are serious conditions and can lead to shock, they typically result in different types of shock. Dehydration can lead to hypovolemic shock due to decreased blood volume, while blood loss directly causes hypovolemic shock as well. Sepsis can cause distributive shock due to widespread vasodilation and fluid shifts but not specifically cardiogenic shock. Therefore, viral infections are a more direct cause of cardiogenic shock in infants, making it the most fitting answer in this context.