This past weekend a friend of mine had such a tragic and frightening event happen in her life. Her four-year old daughter was at daycare and suffered a stroke.
It was a normal day for the family – nothing out of the ordinary happened, until the mother got the call from the daycare that her little girl was having problems. Then her life unraveled. Her child was having a stroke and was being rushed to the hospital. Nothing in their lives has been normal since.
After talking with several people, I realized that we as parents and adults in general, are not aware that children are capable of having a stroke, nor are we aware of the risk factors associated with pediatric strokes.
Thanks to the quickness of the school and medical personal (and many prayers of family and friends), this sweet little angel is recovering. She is making progress and over the next week, maybe doctors can determine exactly what caused her to have a stroke.
When you think of a stroke you generally think of people 65 and over. That is because they are the ones that are at a higher risk, however we all know that a adult of any age can have a stroke. However, what you might not realize is that teenagers, children, newborns and even unborn babies – all are at risk of having a stroke.
Another important fact you might not know is that stroke is the leading cause of death in children in the U.S. Estimates may vary, but stroke affects about 6 in 100,000 children.
A stroke is a biological event (sometimes called a “brain attack”) that happens when blood flow to the brain stops, even for a brief second. Strokes differ in infants and children from adults. While adults most likely have ischemic strokes, infants and children have both hemorrhagic strokes as well as ischemic strokes.
When you bleed from a wound, the blood clots and eventually stops the bleeding. In the case of stroke, however, blood clots can block arteries and cut off blood flow, a process called ischemia.
Strokes caused by the breakage or “blowout” of a blood vessel in the brain are called hemorrhagic strokes. Hemorrhages can be caused by a number of disorders which affect the blood vessels, including high blood pressure and cerebral aneurysms. An aneurysm is a weak or thin spot on a blood vessel wall. These weak spots are usually present at birth.
Common risk factors for stroke in children include:
• Diseases of the arteries
• Cardiac disorders
• Infection
• Acute or chronic head and neck disorders
• Abnormal blood clotting
• Sickle-cell disease
Common signs of stroke in kids and teens:
• Seizures.
• Headaches, possibly with vomiting.
• Sudden paralysis or weakness on one side of the body.
• Language or speech delays or changes, such as slurring.
• Trouble swallowing.
• Vision problems, such as blurred or double vision.
• Tendency to not use one of the arms or hands.
• Tightness or restricted movement in the arms and legs.
• Difficulty with schoolwork
• Memory loss.
• Sudden mood or behavioral changes.
Treatment for a stroke is determined by the age of the child, the signs and symptoms experienced, which area of the brain is affected, how much brain tissue was damaged, and whether another ongoing condition was the cause of the stroke.
Finding the cause of a stroke is vital to provid-ing the right treatment and preventing more injury, however, doctors can find a cause in only about two-thirds of the cases.
Many different treatments are possible. There are anti-seizure medications if the child had a seizure, and medications to thin the blood if there is a heart or artery defect. Children will also receive age-appropriate rehabilitation and therapy.
Most children who suffer a stroke often live with the aftereffects for the rest of their lives. Around 20 to 40 per cent of children have recurrent strokes and 50 to 85 per cent of survivors of stroke will be left with long-term problems.
Some information acquired from the National Stroke Association; KidsHealth.org; Web MD; www.pediatricstroke.org