Essen, Germany (dpa) - Lyn, 7, suffered three strokes, one after the other, when she was a year old, leaving her paralysed on her left side. Her plight highlights how hard it is for doctors to understand that a baby is having a stroke - one of the rarer health risks to children. While today, after around 50 treatments and by wearing a brace on an arm and a leg, the bubbly child from Essen, Germany is somewhat better, her late diagnosis damaged her chances of recovery. When Lyn's parents took her to the hospital for a cramped hand, the doctors diagnosed a wrist problem and sent them home. It wasn't until 10 days later - and after two more strokes - that the correct diagnosis was made: a middle cerebral artery infarction or stroke. By then Lyn's brain was scarred on the right side and valuable time had been lost. "Until Lyn was four and a half years old she couldn't walk, sit or talk," says her mother Pea. "She'll need life-long medication for the seizures. The orthotics need to be regularly adjusted. "Her left leg is not growing properly; last year her Achilles tendon had to be extended by surgery." The cheerful girl attends a special education branch of the Waldorf school in Essen. She has had to endure mental as well as physical difficulties. "She doesn't learn so intensely; her language is dependent on her form on a particular day," her mother says. Lyn’s vision is also affected. The effects of a stroke on a child depend, upon other things, on whether the stroke occurs before or during birth or during childhood, says Ronald Straeter from the University Hospital in Munster, Germany. In Germany about 300 children suffer strokes each year. "Children with heart defects have an increased risk," he says. High clotting tendencies in the blood flow between mother and baby can also play a role. "The dilemma is that children do not exhibit ‘classic’ stroke behaviour; they usually show only non-specific symptoms such as being somewhat inactive or flabby, or drinking weakly," Straeter says. One clue that parents may notice within the first few months of a child’s birth is that their child is better able to move on one side than the other. At the slightest suspicion, a detailed neurological examination should be carried out. After a stroke, children have to take blood thinners, to prevent further attacks. Physiotherapy can help to mitigate the effects of the stroke. In one respect the age of child stroke victims works in their favour. "A child's brain has high plasticity. Intact regions in the brain can, to some extent, take over the functions of the damaged areas," says Straeter. That probably explains the steady progress of Lyn. "She has currently surpassed all prognoses. My greatest wish is that she can lead an independent life," her mother says.
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