Recognising child stroke 'key to preventing further brain injury'RSS Feed

25 February 2010

Recognising the symptoms of a stroke in children early is key to avoiding further brain injury, it has been claimed.

Many strokes in children go unrecognised when they first occur, but are capable of repeating within a month, according to researchers from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

As a result, children do not often receive the necessary treatment to prevent further brain injury caused by this reoccurrence.

Presenting her study findings at the San Antonio International Stroke Conference in Texas this week, pediatric neurologist Rebecca Ichord explained that it is a myth that strokes only occur in the elderly.

Ms Ichord said: "Our findings reinforce how important it is to diagnose stroke in children as quickly as possible so that medical caregivers can provide emergency treatment and take measures to prevent recurrence."

Researchers in the study followed 90 children with a median age of six years old and found that 13 per cent had a recurrent stroke - most within the same month as the first.

In another study published earlier this week, researchers at the University of Illinois found that patients with multiple sclerosis could protect themselves from further brain injury by remaining fit and healthy.

News from Serious Law, specialist acquired brain injury solicitors ADNFCR-2547-ID-19635967-ADNFCR