Cerebrovascular Disorders and Stroke Program

At Boston Children's Hospital, the Cerebrovascular Disorders and Stroke (CVD and Stroke) Program offers comprehensive care from a team of doctors, nurses and other caregivers who subspecialize in treating strokes in children. This care begins in the Emergency Room during the acute period and extends through long term follow-up care.

The signs of stroke in children can be subtle and hard to identify. Symptoms to look out for include:

• weakness on one side of the body
• difficulty speaking
• difficulty walking or instability when standing
• vision loss
• new seizure
• change in mental state

You know your child best -- call a doctor immediately if you suspect your child is having a stroke. Early intervention is very important in minimizing long-term damage, and there is no harm in having your child checked "just to be sure."
 

Expertise our CVD and Stroke team provides:

• Fast, comprehensive evaluations to quickly identify if a stroke has occurred and why
• The combined expertise of child neurology, pediatric neurosurgery, hematology, neurointerventional radiology, pediatric neuroradiology, emergency medicine, child psychiatry, physical and occupational therapy, and speech and language therapy, in one specialized program
• Access to therapies administered in the earliest stages of stroke that are designed to remove blockages of brain blood vessels
• Direct referral to physical therapists, occupational therapists, or speech and language therapists to help children address and improve any affected functions
• Long-term multidisciplinary care to prevent additional strokes
   

Featured Staff

Michael Rivkin, MD
Director, Cerebrovascular Disorders and Stroke Program

Dr. Michael Rivkin is the director of our CVD and Stroke Program. He is also a pediatric neurologist and director of the Boston Children's Hospital Neurology Inpatient Service. 

Edward R. Smith, MD
Co-Director

Dr. Edward Smith is a pediatric neurosurgeon, director of Pediatric Cerebrovascular Surgery and also co-director of both the Neurosurgical Stroke Program and the Center for Head, Neck and Skull Base at Children's.

Cameron C. Trenor III, MD
Co-Director

Dr. Cameron Trenor is a pediatric hematologist/oncologist at Children's.

Darren B. Orbach, MD, PhD
Interventional Radiologist

Dr. Darren Orbach is a pediatric interventional radiologist, division chief of Interventional Radiology and director of Neurointerventional Radiology at Children's.