Pediatric neurology: diseases — симптомы, диагностика и лечение

ADHD is a condition in which a child has difficulty maintaining attention, regulating activity and restraining impulses, and not from time to time, as is the case with all children, but constantly, in all areas of life and noticeably stronger than in peers. Let's start with what's most important: ADHD is not the result of poor parenting, permissiveness, spoiling, or a weak character. It is based on the maturation and functioning of brain structures responsible for self-control and planning, and this is confirmed by both research and simple observation - a child with ADHD often sincerely wants to behave differently, but cannot. Strictness by itself does not solve this problem; It is decided by its structure, clear rules, support at school and, if necessary, the help of specialists.

Febrile seizures are an attack that occurs in a child against a background of elevated temperature, most often between the ages of 6 months and 5 years. For parents, this is one of the most terrible sights: the child loses consciousness, the body tenses, limbs twitch, the gaze freezes or rolls back, the skin may turn pale or blue. It seems like a disaster is happening. In fact, most of these seizures last less than two to three minutes, go away on their own and leave no consequences - they do not damage the brain, do not reduce intelligence, and in the vast majority of cases are not epilepsy. What is really important is to know in advance how to behave in these moments, because the child’s safety depends on the correct actions of an adult.

Epilepsy is a chronic brain disease in which a group of nerve cells periodically produce an excessive electrical discharge, resulting in a seizure. There are still many myths around the disease: it is considered incurable, a mental disorder, or necessarily accompanied by convulsions and falling. In reality, attacks can vary greatly - up to several seconds of "absence" that others do not notice - and the right treatment allows most patients to live without attacks.

Obstetric Erb's palsy is damage to the upper trunks of the brachial plexus, most often the roots of the fifth and sixth cervical segments, received during childbirth. Nerve fibers are stretched when the baby's head and shoulder move apart due to obstructed birth of the shoulder. Immediately after birth, parents notice that the baby's arm lies limply along the body, turned inward and extended at the elbow, while the fingers usually move and grab. Most children recover in the first months with proper care and activities. The key condition is early observation by a neurologist and regular therapeutic exercises, and in the absence of progress, timely consultation with a neurosurgeon.

Alalia is a severe underdevelopment or lack of speech in a child with normal hearing and intact intelligence. The reason lies in the work of the speech zones of the cerebral cortex, damaged in the prenatal period, during childbirth or in the first years of life. In the motor form, the child understands spoken speech, but hardly speaks: the vocabulary is tiny, the words are simplified to syllables, the phrase does not form. In the sensory form, he hears sounds, but does not connect them with meaning, so the speech of others is like an unfamiliar language to him. Alalia does not go away on its own: the key to the result is the early start of systematic classes with a speech therapist and observation by a neurologist.

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a group of neurodevelopmental disorders in which a child has impaired communication and social interaction from an early age, as well as repetitive behavior, narrow interests and unusual reactions to sounds, light, and touch. The manifestations are very varied: from children who do not speak and need constant support, to a child with good speech and intelligence, but with difficulties in communication. Autism is not caused by vaccines or “bad upbringing”; The main role is played by genetic factors and features of intrauterine brain development. The first signs are often noticeable before 2 years of age. There is no cure for autism, but early behavioral and speech therapy helps significantly improve a child's skills and independence.

Intraventricular hemorrhage is bleeding from small vessels of a special zone of the brain, the germinal matrix, which actively works in the fetus and gradually disappears towards the end of pregnancy. Its vessels are very fragile, so hemorrhage occurs almost exclusively in premature babies and most often in the first three days of life. Severity is determined by blood volume and whether the ventricles of the brain dilate. Mild degrees are common, usually resolve and leave no consequences. Severe forms can lead to hydrocephalus and movement disorders. The main method of control is neurosonography through the fontanel, which is safe and accessible even for the youngest children.

Headache is one of the most common complaints among schoolchildren, and in the vast majority of cases it is not associated with a dangerous illness. Most often it is a tension headache due to fatigue, lack of sleep, prolonged screen time and stress, or a migraine. Less commonly, pain is caused by infection, vision problems, sinus inflammation, high blood pressure, or injury. It is important for parents to be able to distinguish normal pain from alarming pain: sudden severe pain, pain with vomiting in the morning, weakness in the limbs or against the background of fever with neck stiffness requires immediate attention. Regular pain that interferes with your studies is a reason to calmly deal with your doctor.

Childhood neurosis is a collective name for emotional disorders in which a child reacts to stress with fears, anxiety and bodily complaints. Manifestations depend on age: babies become whiny, cling to their mother and sleep worse, preschoolers are afraid of the dark and separation, schoolchildren develop tics, nail biting, abdominal pain and headaches before school. The behavior is not a whim: the child cannot “pull himself together” because the nervous system does not yet know how to cope with overload. Such conditions can be easily corrected if the source of stress is removed, a routine is established, and a psychologist is involved in a timely manner. The calm reaction of parents plays a key role.

Dysgraphia is a persistent writing disorder in which the child makes specific, repeated errors that are not related to ignorance of the rules. He skips and rearranges letters, writes them in mirrors, merges words, confuses characters that are similar in sound or style, and can recite the rule by heart. Such errors do not disappear from rewriting and reproaches, because the reason lies in the immaturity of speech and visual-spatial functions, and not in diligence. Dysgraphia is often combined with dyslexia and can be easily corrected if you start classes in elementary school, and not after several years of failing grades.