Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms In Children Are Too Easy to Miss

It is estimated that as much as 5-10% of MS patients started having symptoms as children however their disease was never diagnosed until they were much older. This is in part because multiple sclerosis symptoms in children often masquerade as other diseases and problems, and also in part because traditionally this is considered an adult disorder that rarely affects children. Diagnosing this disease is not always easy even in adults, so it has long been considered a diagnosis of last resort for children.

It is now estimated that 8,000 - 10,000 children in the US alone may have MS and that another 10,000 - 15,000 children have the symptoms of the disease but simply have not been diagnosed. Multiple sclerosis symptoms in children are much the same as they are in adults, however since they often mirror learning and motor problems these may be the first diagnosis that is considered. Other symptoms sometimes occur with children that are not seen in adults and may aid in diagnosis, such as seizures and changes in their mental state such as depression or lethargy.

The biggest reason that MS can be so difficult to diagnose is that the progression of the disease is often much milder, and often goes into remission with children. What can be seen from the parent's point of view as something being wrong may often be written up by the doctor as growing pains or a child that is slow to catch up with his peers. Often a parent may be told to take their child home and wait for their child to catch up. When the child goes into remission the parent will assume that the doctor was right, and forget all about it till the next phase of the disease begins.

Often pediatricians do not even think to check for multiple sclerosis symptoms in children since it has never been considered a childhood disease. Sometimes a child will have symptoms that are severe enough to alert a doctor to the possibility of MS, more often however the symptoms will be mild enough that the disease is not caught until well into adulthood.

Unfortunately, treatment can slow the progression of the disease and offer children that have MS an opportunity to live much more of their life free of the symptoms, so it is always beneficial for children to get an early diagnosis whenever possible. Disease modifying therapies with drugs are being shown to be well tolerated by children and effective, an accurate diagnosis can ensure that they are able to keep their MS in remission for as long as possible.