Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Recognizing the signs and symptoms of stroke in children

Veronica Szalkowski-Lehane, MD
Conditions
June 9, 2013
62 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share

When we think of strokes, we imagine older adults. Yet, one out of every 2,800 newborns (under 1-month) suffers a stroke. In children up to 18, it occurs in 11 out of 100,000. I know how serious this can be – my daughter experienced a stroke before birth. The day before she was born, we discovered she had hydrocephalus (water on the brain). When she was a day old, an MRI revealed that a stroke was the culprit. Why strokes occur prior to birth is a mystery.

My daughter is now a happy, healthy 2-year-old. However, as a pediatrician and mother, I believe it is important to build awareness about childhood strokes. We may not know a lot about why these strokes happen or how to prevent them, but early diagnosis is key. The earlier the diagnosis, the sooner a child can begin therapy to regain function. Recognizing the symptoms of a stroke can be tricky, especially in a younger the child.

Strokes occur when blood flow is interrupted in the brain, resulting in tissue injury or loss of brain function. In infants, this may result in seizures on one side of the body, apnea (prolonged pause in breathing for more than 20 seconds), trouble feeding, or early hand preference (i.e., using one hand far more than another before 10 months of age). Strokes often damage one side of the brain, which causes an abnormal signal to be sent to one arm and one leg and results in abnormal muscle weakness, tightness or accentuated use of one hand. This condition is known as Hemiplegia.

As with my daughter, strokes can occur in the womb and are likely the result of many factors. For premature births the possibility of stroke goes up, though preemies are regularly screened from day one.

Recognizing the signs and symptoms

In young children, delays in gross motor skills, restricted movement in legs or arms or language delays might be red flags. In older children, stroke-like symptoms may include garbled speech, seizures, and one-sided paralysis. Most hospitals have a protocol in place to detect stroke.

In my patients I also look for more subtle signs, which alone are not worrisome but if clustered raise a red flag. Some of these signs include torticollis (tight neck muscles on one side), visual/ eye abnormalities, a general delay in motor skills, tight muscles in the extremities, difficultly eating or speaking.

More than 100 risk factors have been identified for infant and childhood strokes, but for many families the “why” remains an unknown. Some genetic conditions that can predispose a child to stroke include clotting disorders, sickle cell disease (more prominent among African Americans), heart issues, metabolic and vascular disorders, and infections (including chickenpox). It remains an area of ongoing research.

Parents do not be shy; alert your pediatrician if you notice any delays or early hand preferences. If there is a combination of some of the signs already mentioned, share your concerns with your pediatrician immediately and be informed about your family history. When diagnosing an early childhood stroke the more puzzle pieces available, the more likely your doctor can provide you with answers.

Veronica Szalkowski-Lehane is a pediatrician at the University of Utah Stansbury Health Center.

Prev

Does patient engagement set patients up for failure?

June 9, 2013 Kevin 12
…
Next

Responding to patient concerns after changing my practice

June 9, 2013 Kevin 13
…

Tagged as: Neurology, Pediatrics

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Does patient engagement set patients up for failure?
Next Post >
Responding to patient concerns after changing my practice

More in Conditions

  • The psychoanalytic hammer: lessons in listening and patient-centered care

    Greg Smith, MD
  • 5 essential tips to help men prevent prostate cancer

    Kevin Jones, MD
  • Changing the pediatric care landscape: Integrating behavioral and mental health care

    Hilary M. Bowers, MD
  • Unlocking the secret to successful weight loss: Curiosity is the key

    Franchell Hamilton, MD
  • The teacher who changed my life through reading

    Raymond Abbott
  • Revaluating mental health assessments: It’s not just the patient you should consider

    Tomi Mitchell, MD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Nobody wants this job. Should physicians stick around?

      Katie Klingberg, MD | Physician
    • The real cause of America’s opioid crisis: Doctors are not to blame

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
    • Healing the damaged nurse-physician dynamic

      Angel J. Mena, MD and Ali Morin, MSN, RN | Policy
    • The struggle to fill emergency medicine residency spots: Exploring the factors behind the unfilled match

      Katrina Gipson, MD, MPH | Physician
    • From physician to patient: one doctor’s journey to finding purpose after a devastating injury

      Stephanie Pearson, MD | Physician
    • Breaking the stigma: Addressing the struggles of physicians

      Jean Antonucci, MD | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • The hidden dangers of the Nebraska Heartbeat Act

      Meghan Sheehan, MD | Policy
    • The vital importance of climate change education in medical schools

      Helen Kim, MD | Policy
    • The fight for reproductive health: Why medication abortion matters

      Catherine Hennessey, MD | Physician
    • Nobody wants this job. Should physicians stick around?

      Katie Klingberg, MD | Physician
    • Resetting the doctor-patient relationship: Navigating the challenges of modern primary care

      Jeffrey H. Millstein, MD | Physician
    • The real cause of America’s opioid crisis: Doctors are not to blame

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
  • Recent Posts

    • Revolutionizing COPD management with virtual care solutions [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • What I think it means to be a medical student in the wake of AI

      Jackson J. McCue | Tech
    • It’s time for C-suite to contract directly with physicians for part-time work

      Aaron Morgenstein, MD & Corinne Sundar Rao, MD | Physician
    • The psychoanalytic hammer: lessons in listening and patient-centered care

      Greg Smith, MD | Conditions
    • From rural communities to underserved populations: How telemedicine is bridging health care gaps

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician
    • 5 essential tips to help men prevent prostate cancer

      Kevin Jones, MD | Conditions

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

Leave a Comment

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

CME Spotlights

From MedPage Today

Latest News

  • Sam Neill's Rare Lymphoma
  • Day in the Life of a Doctor: Treating a Patient With Septic Shock
  • Paxlovid May Lower Long COVID Risk, VA Study Suggests
  • Digital Inhalers May Improve Uncontrolled Asthma Management
  • Another Win for Zolbetuximab in Advanced Gastric/GEJ Cancer

Meeting Coverage

  • Switch to IL-23 Blocker Yields Deep Responses in Recalcitrant Plaque Psoriasis
  • Biomarkers of Response With Enfortumab Vedotin in Advanced Urothelial Cancer
  • At-Home Topical Therapy for Molluscum Contagiosum Gets High Marks
  • Outlook for Itchy Prurigo Nodularis Continues to Improve With IL-31 Antagonist
  • AAAAI President Shares Highlights From the 2023 Meeting
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Nobody wants this job. Should physicians stick around?

      Katie Klingberg, MD | Physician
    • The real cause of America’s opioid crisis: Doctors are not to blame

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
    • Healing the damaged nurse-physician dynamic

      Angel J. Mena, MD and Ali Morin, MSN, RN | Policy
    • The struggle to fill emergency medicine residency spots: Exploring the factors behind the unfilled match

      Katrina Gipson, MD, MPH | Physician
    • From physician to patient: one doctor’s journey to finding purpose after a devastating injury

      Stephanie Pearson, MD | Physician
    • Breaking the stigma: Addressing the struggles of physicians

      Jean Antonucci, MD | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • The hidden dangers of the Nebraska Heartbeat Act

      Meghan Sheehan, MD | Policy
    • The vital importance of climate change education in medical schools

      Helen Kim, MD | Policy
    • The fight for reproductive health: Why medication abortion matters

      Catherine Hennessey, MD | Physician
    • Nobody wants this job. Should physicians stick around?

      Katie Klingberg, MD | Physician
    • Resetting the doctor-patient relationship: Navigating the challenges of modern primary care

      Jeffrey H. Millstein, MD | Physician
    • The real cause of America’s opioid crisis: Doctors are not to blame

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
  • Recent Posts

    • Revolutionizing COPD management with virtual care solutions [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • What I think it means to be a medical student in the wake of AI

      Jackson J. McCue | Tech
    • It’s time for C-suite to contract directly with physicians for part-time work

      Aaron Morgenstein, MD & Corinne Sundar Rao, MD | Physician
    • The psychoanalytic hammer: lessons in listening and patient-centered care

      Greg Smith, MD | Conditions
    • From rural communities to underserved populations: How telemedicine is bridging health care gaps

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician
    • 5 essential tips to help men prevent prostate cancer

      Kevin Jones, MD | Conditions

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today iMedicalApps
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Leave a Comment

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...