Stroke disorders and hypercoagulation disorders

Also known as: cerebral arterial hemorrhage or thrombosis; sinus thrombosis, sinovenous thrombosis

What is a stroke?

A stroke is brain damage caused by either not enough blood reaching the brain due to blockage of (arterial stroke) or bleeding from blood vessels (hemorrhagic stroke) or from one or more of the large veins (sinovenous thrombosis) being blocked in the brain. Many strokes in infants/children occur soon after birth or in the first two years of life. An infant/child may have more than one stroke and many infants/children are left with neurological damage.

What causes stroke?

The causes of stroke in children are different to that of adults. Common risk factors include congenital heart defects, abnormal blood clotting, sickle cell disease or immune problems. Not infrequently no cause can be found.

What are the symptoms of stroke?

In newborns- sleepiness, seizures and difficulty moving an arm or leg are common.
In children- drowsiness, headache, nausea and vomiting, weakness in moving a limb frequently on one side of the body, difficulty speaking are common symptoms.

What are stroke care options?

Optimal treatment of stroke in infants and children can be complex and therefore requires a broad group of Specialists working together to provide the best results. Nicklaus Children's hospital will give your baby/child the opportunity to achieve his/her maximal potential.


Reviewed by: Jack Wolfsdorf, MD, FAAP

This page was last updated on: October 04, 2019 02:35 PM