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.

Cerebral palsy is a group of permanent movement and posture disorders caused by damage to the immature brain before birth, during childbirth, or in the first months of life. The key thing that parents need to understand is that brain damage itself does not progress - it happened once and does not increase. Something else changes: the child grows, and without work, secondary problems form - contractures, dislocations, deformities. That is why early and regular rehabilitation treatment determines the result more than any drugs.

Hydrocephalus is an excessive accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the ventricles of the brain, leading to their expansion and compression of brain tissue. The disease is usually associated with babies and enlarged heads, but there is a second, much more often overlooked form - normal pressure hydrocephalus in the elderly. Its manifestations - gait disturbance, urinary incontinence and memory loss - are almost always attributed to age and dementia, whereas this is one of the few reversible causes: after surgery, the condition can improve significantly.