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Last Updated: Nov 22, 2021
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Child Neurology - Know More!

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Dr. Vineet Bhushan GuptaPediatrician • 39 Years Exp.Diploma in Child Health (DCH), MRCPCH, MRCP (UK), MD - Paediatrics, MBBS
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Child neurology is an expertise field of medicine who treats children and adolescents for neurological conditions. Children born with neurological defects and disorders are treated by a child neurologist. A child having problems with neurological structure can show symptoms mentally or physically which can include headaches and migraines.

The child neurologist work on the treatment of neurological conditions in children for a longer duration. This is because the treatment of the symptoms related to a neurological condition may undergo for a long time.

How Does Child Neurology Help with Special Children?

Child neurologists are specially trained with years of study and internships under the experts. They focus on treating conditions such as:

● Child epilepsy
● Migraines in child
● Persistent headaches
● Autism
● Hyperactivity
● Stroke
● Seizures
● Developmental problems in spine, muscles, and nerves in the body
● Intellectual disorders
● Speech delay
● Infection, inflammation or other problems in the brain
● Auto-immune problems

These problems can develop in a child from birth but may get noticed in later stages. The child neurology specialist helps to assess these problems and offer appropriate treatment.

Diagnosis of Child Neurology

The brain is a complex organ. No two problems in the brain of an individual can have a single solution. The treatment in neurology depends greatly upon the condition and age of the child. In order to decide the course of action, the child neurologist can suggest few tests based upon the symptoms. These tests generally include:

● EEG: This test determines the abnormal brain functions. The test is simple and painless.
● CT Scan: A CT scan is performed when the doctor has doubts with the brain and spinal cord functions. CT scan is an effective way to determine infections or tumors in the spine or brain.
● Lumbar Puncture: The spinal tap is performed by the doctors to test the spinal cord fluid in the child. It helps them to determine any inflammation or infection in the workings of the brain or spine.
● Blood Tests: In some cases, doctors suggest blood tests to determine the autoimmune diseases. It is also performed to check for any genetic disorders.

Causes of Child Neurology

The causes of child neurology can be categorized into two sections:

Congenital Causes

The congenital causes include the symptoms and causes that were present during the birth of the child. It is the most common cause of neurological problems in children. Sometimes, it is also genetic, receiving abnormalities from either of parents.

Some of the examples of congenital causes in children are:

● Gene abnormalities
● Chromosome abnormalities
● Change in the chromosome numbers
● Metabolic disorders
● Congenital malfunctions like the development of TB in the brain, heart, and kidneys in children

Acquired Causes

Acquired causes include the reasons of neurological defects in children when they acquire any neurological disorders after birth. This can be due to accidents, the stress caused by other diseases, or medications.

Some of the examples of Acquired causes of child neurology are:
● Post birth infections in the infants
● The immune-related disease that causes fever
● Any traumatic brain injury

Takeaway

The child neurologist is a specialist that treats neurological conditions in children. The treatment of these effects is often can undergo for a longer duration of time. The treatment of the child is also dependent on the type and cause of the neurological disorder.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult a specialist & get answers to your questions!
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