As a parent, you always know that there is a possibility for your child to get sick and become ill. Though you never want to think about the possibilities, it is important to always be aware that they are there. Unfortunately, children are subjected to chronic illnesses just like adults. Though it’s a lot less common, the risk is still there.
Though pediatric strokes are rare, they still pose a threat to young children. A pediatric stroke affects 1 in every 4,000 newborns and 1 in every 2,000 young children.
That may not seem like it can be a common occurrence or even a possibility in your household, but the facts are that it can be. It’s important for parents to always be aware and pay attention to sudden changes in a child.
RELATED: Is Your Child at Risk of Pediatric Stroke?
Yes, though strokes appear much more frequently in adults than they do in children, they still can appear.
Fortunately, since a child’s brain is still in the development stage, children often recover easily from a stroke.
If a child suffers from a head injury, sickle cell disease, or metabolic disorders, they are put at a higher risk of being subjected to having a stroke.
The most common risk factor for a pediatric stroke is heart conditions within a child.
After a child suffers from a stroke, they do have the ability to recover faster than adults as stated before but they are still affected. Once a stroke happens, there is a loss of movement on one side of the body. Children may also need help with their speech, vision and behavior after they have suffered a stroke. Unfortunately, prevention of a pediatric stroke isn’t likely because one won’t know a child is having a stroke until the first symptom, so it is important to notice any sudden changes that may occur with your child.
Since pediatric strokes aren’t as common, there will probably be a diagnosis delay with a doctor. Ways to detect if your child is suffering from strokes differ in age.
If a newborn is suffering from a stroke you possibly see seizures, extreme sleepiness and they’ll only be able to use one side of their body.
Unfortunately, strokes appearing in young children have delayed symptoms. In older children, symptoms of strokes are similar to the ones in adults. Usually, they have trouble with moving their eyes and trouble with their vision, severe headache, weakness and numb feelings on one side of the body, delayed speech, loss of consciousness and or seizures.
Pay close attention to a child’s face. If you notice that their smile is uneven, one side of their face looks like it’s dropping or they express numbness then there is a possibility that the child is suffering from a stroke.
Also, take note if they are having difficulty speaking or lack of arm movement on one side again, this may be a sign that your child is suffering from a stroke.
Call 911 immediately. A doctor will then give your child a diagnosis by taking pictures of the brain, blood test, giving a pulse oximetry and more.
Once it is determined that a child has suffered a stroke, doctors will begin to treat it with things such as IVs to stop dehydration, blood transfusions, medicines that will stop the blood from clotting and medication to thin the blood. Depending on how bad the stroke is, doctors will also perform surgery in order to treat a stroke. It may be hard to detect a stroke right when it happens if you don’t know what symptoms to look for but it is important to get help immediately once you notice something is wrong. The quicker you get help, the better the treatment will work. Strokes in anyone of any age can be terrifying but it’s imperative that we know what to look for so we can handle the situation accordingly and to the best of our ability.
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