Contents:
- Medical Video: Introduction to Pediatric Stroke Management by Miya Bernson-Leung for OPENPediatrics
- Act immediately
Medical Video: Introduction to Pediatric Stroke Management by Miya Bernson-Leung for OPENPediatrics
Stroke can affect children and adults of all ages. However, the cause of stroke in children is different from adults. Stroke symptoms in newborns and toddlers are of course different from adults because the child's brain is still developing. However, in older children, the signs and symptoms of a stroke that are experienced are very similar to those of an adult, depending on the area of the brain that is affected. For newborns and children, the diagnosis is often delayed or missed because usually people do not think of stroke as the main cause of symptoms that arise.
| CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES | STROKE ON ADULTS | STROKE IN SMALL CHILDREN | PERINATAL STROKE |
| Most common Type of stroke | • 80% is caused by blockages and blood clots • 20% is caused by bleeding in the brain | • 50% is caused by blockages and blood clots • 50% is caused by bleeding in the brain | • 80-90% is caused by blockages in either the arteries or veins • 10-20% are bleeding strokes |
| Main risk Factors and causes of stroke | • High blood pressure • Diabetes • High cholesterol • Smoking • Abnormal heart rhythm (atrial fibrillation) | • Birth defects • Heart problems • Disorders of blood vessels • Infection (eg meningitis) • Head trauma • Blood disorders (such as sickle cells, anemia or leukemia) • Dehydration | • Most causes are unknown • Congenital heart disease • Problems with the placenta • Blood clotting disorders • Infection (eg meningitis) • Dehydration |
| General signs and symptoms | • Numbness or weakness in the face, arms, legs • Speech disorders • Impaired vision • Sudden severe headaches • Sudden dizziness | • Weakness on one side of the body • Speech disorders • Severe headaches • Seizures • Impaired awake and too alert when sleeping at night or day | • Newborns: seizures • Babies: Weakness on one side of the body, usually seen between the ages of 4-8 months: Hand Preference: children's hand movements should not show consistency before the age of 1 year. Fists or fingers must be clenched on one side. Decreased use of one side of the body. |
Act immediately
All patients with stroke symptoms regardless of age need to be immediately assessed by health professionals. It is very important to immediately act and call 112 or an emergency number if you see signs of a sudden stroke or sudden health changes in a child. It's much safer to call an ambulance and take the child to the hospital; ambulances take patients to hospitals that have stroke services, and ambulance officers can notify hospitals so doctors and nurses are ready to help when you arrive.
Babies with ages less than 12 months should see a family doctor or pediatrician first and ask for a referral to a child neurologist.
