• Stroke is among the top 10 causes of death in childhood with the highest mortality in the first 12 months of life.
• The incidence (number of new cases per year) of stroke is around 2 per 100,000-population.
• Approximately one third of all cases occur in children less than one year of age.
• Stroke affects approximately 1 in 4,000 newborns.
• 50-85% of children with stroke will be left with long term problems which may include seizures, physical disability, speech or learning difficulties.
• 20-40% of children have recurrent strokes.
• The causes and outcomes of childhood stroke are poorly understood, with little published research.  However emerging data suggests that half of the cases are due to blood vessel problems in the brain, one quarter due to clots travelling from the heart but no cause can be found in another one quarter of children.
• The optimal acute management of childhood stroke is unknown with treatment recommendations extrapolated from adults.  However children do not have hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis) or risk factors like smoking, high blood pressure and diabetes, conditions that are known to cause stroke in adults.
• Little is also known about the secondary prevention of childhood stroke.
• Since stroke is not common and little research has been done there is a lack of awareness amongst the community and primary care doctors about childhood stroke. There is also a delayed recognition of stroke in children.  The median time from onset of stroke to diagnosis is over 22 hours limiting the ability to use treatments to dissolve clots in the brain.
• Most parents are obviously devastated by the news their child has had a stroke.  There is also a lack of support services for families of parents caring for children with stroke. However there are some specialist services and professionals who deal with stroke in children around Australia who are often involved in such cases.
  

Acknowledgment: This information was kindly shared by Dr. Mark Mackay, Paediatric Neurologist, Children’s Neuroscience Centre, Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne.

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