Risk factors and treatment outcomes of childhood stroke

Abstract

Stroke is an important cause of childhood mortality and morbidity. The risk factors and pathophysiological processes of stroke in children are very different than those in adults. The range of risk factors is very wide, with over 100 presumptive risk factors described. There are a number of clinical guidelines, but despite recent increases in research, the evidence base underpinning these guidelines is sparse. Therefore, treatment is largely based upon expert consensus and extrapolation from adult data. Mortality from childhood stroke is relatively high and at least two-thirds of survivors have neurological impairments. Stroke can affect a wide range of neurocognitive domains and a high proportion of children require additional educational support and have a reduced quality of life.

Keywords::

• cerebral infarction
• intracranial hemorrhage
• outcome
• prognosis
• risk factors
• stroke
• treatment

Financial & competing interests disclosure

Andrew A Mallick is a researcher and Finbar JK O’Callaghan is the chief investigator for a study of childhood stroke funded by the Stroke Association, UK. This funding source had no involvement in the production of this manuscript or the decision to submit for publication. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.