Stroke In Children
We tend to think that a stroke only affects adults. In fact, we associate this event with age. Although it is true that its highest incidence is in people over 65 years of age, a stroke can also appear in children.
Stroke is also known as a “stroke” or “stroke.” It consists in that the blood circulation stops reaching an area of the brain, either due to hemorrhage or ischemia. This fact means that oxygen and nutrients cannot reach that area correctly.
Strokes, fortunately, are rare in childhood. Specifically, according to an article published in 2014 in the Journal of the Bolivian Society of Pediatrics, its annual incidence increases with age, going from affecting 2-3 / 100,000 children in the first five years to 8/100000 until age 14 .
However, they are an important cause of mortality, being currently among the top 10 causes of death in children. Furthermore, the data seem to indicate that its incidence is increasing.
Most children who suffer from it suffer from it during the first month of life. In this article we explain everything you need to know about the subject, so that you can recognize the symptoms and treat it as soon as possible.
What Causes a Stroke in Children?
As we have already mentioned, a stroke is defined as an interruption of the blood supply to some part of the brain. In addition, it produces certain neurological symptoms that last for at least 24 hours.
In adults, most events are related to risk factors such as hypertension or atherosclerosis. However, in children the causes are quite different. Development during pregnancy, the time of delivery and certain malformations are decisive.
We must emphasize that one of the main causes is that, during birth, there is a lack of oxygen. Strokes resulting from trauma are also important. Other of the most relevant causes are:
- Sickle cell anemia and other blood disorders. For example, hemophilia.
- Congenital heart or blood vessel malformations, such as arteriovenous malformations -MAV.
- Certain infections, such as meningitis.
- Among the problems during pregnancy, preeclampsia, drug abuse and diabetes of the mother stand out. Strokes in children are also associated with placental abruption and premature rupture of membranes.
The truth is that, at this stage of life, people are very fragile. It can also occur during childhood or adolescence, but the greatest number occurs in relation to the first month of life, as we have indicated.
How to identify a stroke in a child?
Most people know how to recognize this situation in adults. It is very common that speech, mobility of a part of the body are affected and, in addition, that the person feels weak. However, in babies it can be difficult to recognize a stroke.
When it occurs in connection with birth, babies may not show symptoms until they are growing and developing. In fact, many of them don’t even experience any. The predominant symptom is seizures.
Other warning signs in babies are a delay in development and trouble eating. Some babies even have a hard time breathing properly. In some patients, sudden paralysis occurs on only one side of the body, as in adults.
Strokes in older children have symptoms that increasingly resemble those in adults. They can have:
- Trouble speaking
- Headaches
- Paralysis
- Memory loss
- Behavior changes
How are they treated?
Before any anomaly that is appreciated in a child, it is essential to go to the emergency room urgently. As we have seen, symptoms can go unnoticed. That is why it is important to pay attention to them and go to the pediatrician frequently.
The treatment of stroke in children is complex and will depend on the cause that caused it. In the case of seizures, children most often require treatment with antiepileptic drugs.
If there is a malformation or a congenital problem, it should be tried to solve it. In addition, most children who experience this condition require rehabilitation. This is how they try to recover the functions of the affected area.
