Cerebrovascular Disorders and Stroke Program
For health professionals
Identifying strokes in infants and children can be very hard. If you suspect that a child in your care may be experiencing acute onset of a stroke call Boston Children's Hospital at 617-355-6369 and ask for the clinician on call for the CVD and Stroke Program.
Indications your patient may be having a stroke
The signs of stroke in children include sudden onset of:
- Weakness on one side of the body
- Loss of vision
- Ataxia or difficulty maintaining gait stability
- Expressive or receptive language function
- Loss of sensation on one side of the body
- New unexplained seizure especially if followed by post-ictal lateralized weakness
- Sudden alteration of consciousness
We recommend rapid referral to a pediatric stroke center if any of the aforementioned symptoms occur.
