Different Strokes for Different Folks
4/27/2023
SPRINGDALE (April 27, 2023) – Strokes don’t discriminate against a person’s age or gender. They can happen to anyone – including children.
Most strokes, or brain attacks, take place when there’s not enough blood flow to the brain. Though strokes mostly occur in adults, children can suffer from them, too – even before birth.
Many faces of stroke
The causes of stroke in adults differ from those in children. Adults usually have a stroke because of health conditions such as high blood pressure, an irregular heartbeat or a blockage in the arteries. While these conditions can cause strokes in children, it's rare. Kids most often suffer from strokes because of diseases or disorders they’re born with, including:
- Abnormal blood clotting
- Congenital heart defects
- Diseases of the arteries
- Head or neck injuries
- Infections or illnesses, including meningitis and those that develop during pregnancy
- Pregnancy-related high blood pressure in her mother
- Rupture of a membrane during pregnancy
Cause for concern
Stroke in children often goes undetected because kids present different signs of stroke than adults. Because of this, it’s important to know what to look for.
Newborns and infants suffering stroke will show signs of excessive sleepiness and use or movement of only one side of their bodies. They may have seizures or repetitive twitching in their face or limbs. Adolescents typically experience extreme fatigue, dizziness, intense headaches, poor balance or coordination, or vomiting. Additionally, like infants, children and teens can also show subtle signs of less mobility or weakness on one side of their bodies.
Treat me differently
Not only do causes and symptoms of stroke in children differ from those in adults, treatment options are also much different. Because adults’ strokes usually occur because of blood clots, treatments such as tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) – a clot-busting medication – are often used. However, because children’s strokes are not usually caused by clots, children require unique treatment that is based on both the cause of their stroke and their age. Current options focus on detection, prevention, management and supportive care. Much research is still to be conducted to determine the best treatment options for children. Until then, awareness is key.
Positive outlook
While children can sustain permanent complications from strokes, the good news is that kids typically recover from strokes much better than adults because their brains are still developing. Furthermore, brain cells that remain intact after a stroke are capable of learning to carry out the jobs of the cells that were destroyed during the attack.
Pediatric stroke is still very much unchartered territory, marked by various challenges in diagnosing and treating this neurological event. Researchers continue to move forward in gaining understanding and knowledge of pediatric stroke.
If you suspect someone is having a stroke, don’t waste a precious second – call 911 immediately. The emergency rooms at Northwest Health (NWH) are here for you and your family 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Through the Arkansas SAVES (AR SAVES) program, NWH uses a high-speed video communications system to help provide immediate, life-saving treatments to stroke patients 24 hours a day. The real-time video communication enables a stroke neurologist to evaluate whether emergency room physicians should use a powerful blood-clot dissolving agent within the critical three-hour period following the first signs of stroke.
Making the Most of May
May is National Stroke Awareness Month. Help promote stroke awareness in your community by:
- Donating to a local, state or national association that is actively working toward boosting stroke awareness
- Posting stroke facts to your social media pages
- Printing out a brochure, flyer or infographic to hand out to coworkers, community members and loved ones
- Setting up a fundraising page where people in your community can donate to this special cause.
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