Childhood Strokes: More Common Than Parents Know
You might think strokes only happen to older adults. But this brain event is one of the top 10 causes of death in children and teens. Childhood strokes most often happen before age 1, and babies can even have them before or right after birth.
Many children who have strokes -- even severe ones -- can get better. However, spotting a stroke early and getting treatment quickly is key.
A stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is interrupted, either by a blocked or burst blood vessel. Because strokes are often linked to old age, parents and doctors may not suspect them in young patients.
Teens and children sometimes have the same stroke symptoms as adults. These include headaches, trouble seeing or speaking, and weakness or numbness on one side of the body. However, they're also more likely to experience signs such as:
- Passing out
- Seizures
- Breathing problems
- Trouble swallowing
When it comes to treatment, every moment counts. Take a child with these signs directly to the emergency room. The doctors there will perform imaging tests to diagnose or rule out a stroke.
High cholesterol or other risk factors for heart disease lead to most adult strokes. These conditions are less common in young people. In children, strokes are often linked to:
- Genetic heart defects
- Head or neck injuries
- Infections, including chickenpox and meningitis
- Blood clotting disorders
- Sickle cell disease, which mainly affects African American children, raising their stroke risk by narrowing blood vessels in the brain
For about one-fifth of children who have a stroke, doctors never find an underlying cause.
To treat a childhood stroke, doctors will try to determine the cause. Most often, they'll stabilize your child by giving oxygen, stopping seizures, and controlling fever. They'll then give medications that thin the blood. Surgery can also help in some cases.
After a stroke, some children have lifelong difficulties, including trouble with speech and language. Babies who have strokes before birth may develop cerebral palsy, which makes movement and muscle coordination difficult. Between 10 and 30 percent of children who have one stroke may have another one, so they must be watched closely, especially in the first days and weeks afterward.
However, young brains can often find new ways to adapt. Many children who have strokes make impressive recoveries. And research on childhood stroke continues to uncover new treatments and other ways to improve the lives of young patients.
Always consult your physician for more information.
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