6 Neurological disease in children that should be watched out

Types of neurological diseases in children

Neurological diseases or neurological disorders are conditions in which part of the brain or nervous system does not work properly.

This condition can later affect the child's development which results in certain symptoms, both physically and psychologically. This depends on which part of the brain and nerves is affected.

To better understand, here is a list of various neurological diseases in children.

1. Spina bifida

Spina bifida is a condition that occurs when the spine and spinal cord are not properly formed. This condition is congenital in newborns and can occur until the child enters school age.

Babies with spina bifida usually have partial failure of the neural tube to develop or a tube that doesn't close properly.

As a result, the spine and spinal cord can be damaged. The neural tube is a part of the embryo which then develops into the brain and spinal cord and the surrounding tissue.

This condition can be mild or even very severe, depending on the type of damage, size, location, and complications that have occurred.

The signs and symptoms of neurological disease in this one child depend on the type, namely:

Occult

This type of spina bifida generally does not damage the spinal nervous system. Babies born with this condition show physical signs such as:

A crest or hair appears on the back.
A birthmark or dimple on the part of the body affected by spina bifida.

There are only a few cases of occult-type spina bifida neurological disease in children.

Meningocele

Symptoms of this type of spina bifida can be seen from the appearance of a fluid-filled sac-shaped tissue on the baby's back. This condition can usually be seen after your little one is born.

Mielomeningokel

Symptoms are similar to those of a meningocele, which is a fluid filled pocket on the back. There are other symptoms experienced by people with neurological disease in this type of spina bifida child, namely:

Enlargement of the head due to a buildup of brain fluid
Cognitive and behavioral changes
The body is not powerful
The body is stiffer
Back pain

Every child has different symptoms and signs from other children. So, make sure to immediately check with a doctor when you find signs of neurological disease above in children.

The risk of a child experiencing spina bifida can increase due to the mother's lack of folic acid intake during pregnancy, a family history of spina bifida, and consumption of drugs such as valproic acid during pregnancy.

2. Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a neurological disorder characterized by recurrent seizures. Usually this condition is caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain due to heredity, head injury, and problems with the brain.

In children, epilepsy can cause various problems in the ability to control muscles, children's language skills, to memory and learning disorders.

Epilepsy as a type of neurological disease in children has quite a variety of symptoms, usually marked by:

Loss of consciousness
Sudden movements of the hands and feet
The body becomes stiff
Respiratory disorders
Eyes blink rapidly while staring at one point

Can a child who has had one seizure be called epilepsy? Quoting from the official website of the Indonesian Pediatrician Association (IDAI), if you have had one seizure without a cause, you cannot say epilepsy.

However, giving antiepileptic drugs can be done if the child is at risk of recurring seizures. This can be seen from an abnormal electroencephalography (EEG) examination (multiple focus seizures).

Not only that, if the child has had one seizure but it lasts very long for up to 30 minutes, the doctor will give antiepileptic drugs.

Genetic factors play a role in neurological diseases such as epilepsy in children. However, not all types of epilepsy are caused by genetic factors.

Cells damaged due to conditions with impaired brain development, bleeding in the head, or inflammation of the lining of the brain, can be the focus of seizures in epilepsy.

3. Hydrocephalus

Source: National Brain Pusak Hospital

The next neurological disease in children is hydrocephalus. Hydrocephalus is a condition when a child experiences a buildup of cerebrospinal fluid in a cavity in the brain.

Quoted from the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), this cerebrospinal fluid will flow through the brain and spinal cord, then be absorbed by blood vessels.

But unfortunately, too much pressure on the fluid can damage brain tissue, causing various problems related to brain function.

Even though you can see only the head that is enlarged due to the buildup of fluids, all parts of the child's body will be affected by hydrocephalus. For example, a child's growth and development disorders to a decrease in intelligence.

When a child has neurological disease in a child with hydrocephalus, the symptoms usually look like:

The head size is much larger than normal children.
There is a prominent soft part of the head (fontanel) at the top.
Eyes are always downward.
Poor growth and development of the body.
Throws up.
Muscle spasms
Impaired cognitive abilities of children
Difficulty concentrating
The balance becomes unstable.
Your appetite has decreased dramatically.
Weak and limp helpless.
Seizures

If parents see that their child has the above signs, immediately consult a doctor. Specifically, there are special signs that make parents have to do an examination, quoting from the Mayo Clinic:

Shout in a high tone
Vomiting repeatedly
Difficulty moving your head and lying down
Difficulty breathing smoothly
Babies have problems when breastfeeding, especially when sucking

The above are special signs that cannot be taken lightly because they can lead to neurological diseases in children with hydrocephalus type.

4. Cerebral palsy

Cerebral palsy is a disorder that affects the muscles, nerves, movement and motor skills of children to be able to move in a coordinated and directed manner.

This condition, which is also called brain paralysis, is generally caused by brain damage that occurs before the baby is born.

The various symptoms that will be shown when a child has cerebral palsy are:

Muscles too stiff or weak to droop.
Lack of muscle coordination.
Frequent tremors or involuntary movements.
The movements are slow.
Slow motor skills such as the ability to sit and crawl.
Has difficulty walking.
Excess saliva production and problems in swallowing.
Has difficulty sucking or chewing food.
Late speech.

Quoting from Healthy Children, a child with cerebral palsy-type neurological disease has a brain disorder in controlling motor movements.

This condition is the cause of various types of motor development disabilities in children, ranging from mild to very severe.

Children with neurological disease type cerebral palsy have a tendency to have difficulty walking or even not walking at all.

Usually children will use a walking aid in the form of a wheelchair which is specially designed for children with this type of neurological disease.

5. Autism

Quoted from the official IDAI website, autism or now known as autism spectrum disorder (GSA) is a collection of developmental disorders in terms of social interaction, communication and behavior.

This condition that attacks the nervous system in the brain makes it difficult for children to understand the world around them.

Children who have this type of neurological disease tend to have delays in speaking, playing, and interacting with other people.

Usually, children who have neurological diseases in children with autism type experience several signs that can be seen clearly, such as:

Do not make eye contact when you are interacting with him.
Does not respond when called.
Make sounds to get your attention.
Has no interest in interacting with other people.
Having trouble saying something.
Do not understand the directions or directions you are giving.

The behavior, interests, and activities of children with autism are usually very limited and repetitive in nature.

For example, the child will move certain limbs over and over and repeat the words that other people mention (ecolalia).

Parents need to worry if a child with autism experiences the following:

Not babbling, pointing at objects, or displaying facial expressions at 12 months of age.
There are no meaningful words at 16 months of age.
Abstain from pronouncing 2 non-echocalia at 24 months of age.
Loss of language and social skills at all ages.
Does not turn around when called at the age of 6-12 months.

Above is a danger sign that a child has autism. Immediately take it to a pediatrician for special screening for children with autism.

Various neurological diseases in this child can be treated as early as possible if you suspect your little one is through the symptoms they cause.

With early treatment, the doctor will recommend various medications and therapies that can help support its development and growth.

6. Moebius syndrome

Source: moebiussyndrome.org

Quoting from the Genetic Home Reference, moebius syndrome is a very rare neurological disorder that affects the muscles controlling facial expressions and eye movements. This sign of neurological disease is present in children from birth.

Weakness of the facial muscles is one of the most common features of moebius syndrome. Children with this condition cannot smile, frown, control eye movements, or raise their eyebrows.

In fact, the eyelids may not close completely when blinking or sleeping which makes the eyes often dry and irritated. Not only a problem of expression, moebius syndrome also causes problems in the baby's process of eating.

People born with moebius syndrome are born with the following conditions:

Small chin (micrognathia)
Mulu Kecil (microstomia)
Short tongue
There is a hole in the roof of the mouth

Abnormalities above will relate to problems when speaking.

Quoting from the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD), there is no definite cause of neurological disease in this one child.

However, the findings from NORD suggest that this condition is due to impaired or impaired blood flow to the fetus (ischemia).

In addition, lack of blood during pregnancy also affects certain areas of the lower brain stem that contain the nucleus of the cranial nerves. Lack of blood flow is caused by the environment or genetics.

This syndrome can occur in both boys and girls. In the United States, at least 1 in 50 thousand to 1 in 500 thousand births have Moebius syndrome.