Warning signs of stroke in children

Stroke in children is increasingly being recorded, but atypical symptoms make it easy for families to miss the golden time for treatment.

Children with stroke treated at Hospital 108.

Dr. Nguyen Van Tuyen, Director of the Institute of Neurology and Head of the Stroke Department, 108 Central Military Hospital, said that although stroke in children is still considered rare, the rate of patients under 45 years old being hospitalized is on the rise.

By 2025, children and young people will account for about 10-15% of the cases treated at the department, mainly due to cerebral infarction and cerebral hemorrhage. In this group, the mechanism of vascular occlusion is less related to atherosclerosis than in adults, but often originates from arterial dissection - a dangerous condition, accounting for 30-50% of infarction cases. Dissection can occur when children play, run, jump, collide or turn their neck strongly, causing damage to the vascular endothelium, or due to vasculitis.

According to experts, stroke at any age is a race against time. With each passing minute, billions of nerve cells can be irreversibly damaged. Thrombolytic drugs are usually effective in the first 3-4.5 hours, mechanical thrombectomy is indicated within 6 hours.

However, Dr. Tuyen emphasized that parents should not delay because of the "golden hour", because the later they arrive at the hospital, the lower the chance of survival and recovery.

What is worrying is that children often cannot describe their feelings, and symptoms can easily be mistaken for fatigue or the flu. Symptoms such as severe headaches, weakness in the limbs, blurred vision, difficulty speaking, convulsions, and sudden collapse, even if fleeting, should be monitored and the child should be taken to the doctor early.

According to medical experts, there is no absolute way to prevent stroke in children because the causes are often complex and unclear. However, early detection is always the decisive factor in limiting damage and preserving life.

“ Stroke can happen at any age. Vigilance from family, teachers and the community is the key to saving children ,” said the expert.

PV (synthesis)

Source: https://baohaiphong.vn/dau-hieu-canh-bao-dot-quy-o-tre-em-528889.html