National Guidelines Help Young People Who Have Strokes

Although strokes are among the top 10 causes of death in childhood, family members and doctors often are slow to recognize the symptoms. Now, new national guidelines have been published to help prevent and treat strokes in infants and children. Jose Biller, MD, professor of neurology and chairman of the Department of Neurology, is co-author of the guidelines that will be an “invaluable resource and educational tool for years to come,” he said.

The guidelines were recently published in the heart association journal, Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association, and will be the authoritative work on the management of pediatric strokes. Dr. Biller and other experts were appointed by the American Heart Association Stroke Council's Scientific Statement Oversight Committee.

Strokes can occur at any age — even before birth. According to conservative estimates, about 3,200 strokes occur each year in youths under age 18. And more than 3,000 people under age 45 die of strokes each year. Survivors can experience lifelong learning disabilities, seizures, movement disorders, language problems, cognitive deficits and paralysis on one side of the body. “The impact of strokes in this age group is devastating to the child or young adult, their families and society,” Dr. Biller said.

The quicker a child or young adult is diagnosed and treated for a stroke, the better the outcome. But family members often are slow to recognize strokes. Symptoms can be more subtle in children. It's especially difficult to recognize symptoms in babies who have not begun to walk or talk. “People don't think that children and young adults can get strokes,” Dr. Biller said.

He has been treating young people for stroke for decades and is primary editor of the 1994 textbook “Stroke in Children and Young Adults.” An updated second edition is scheduled for publication in 2009.

Loyola has been named a primary stroke center by the Joint Commission, the independent accrediting agency for health-care organizations and programs. The certification is awarded to centers that “make exceptional efforts to foster better outcomes for stroke care.”

To make an appointment with a Loyola physician, call (888) LUHS-888 or visit www.LoyolaMedicine.org and click on “Choose a Doctor.”