What Is Pediatric Neurology

Categories: Neurology

Pediatric neurology is a medical specialty of child neurologists and pediatric neurosurgeons who specialize in children with nervous system disorders. A pediatric neurologist manages the care of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults with conditions affecting the brain, spinal cord, nerves and muscles (neurological conditions). Pediatric physicians are qualified to diagnose brain injury or diseases such as epilepsy, autism or developmental delay.

Pediatric neurology is a medical specialty that focuses on the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disorders of the brain, spine and peripheral nervous system in children.

Pediatric neurologists have specialized training to care for children with these disorders.

Because of their advanced training, pediatric neurologists can be board-certified by The American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) or The American Osteopathic Board of Neurology and Psychiatry (AOBNP).

Pediatric neurosurgeons are physicians who specialize in surgical procedures related to the brain, spinal cord and nerves that make up the peripheral nervous system. This includes microsurgery — surgery performed through very small incisions using specialized instruments — as well as adult neurologic surgery when necessary.

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A pediatric neurologist manages the care of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. Pediatric neurologists are physicians who specialize in the care of children with neurological disorders. They are trained to diagnose and treat various diseases, including epilepsy and other seizure disorders, cerebral palsy, stroke, intellectual disability (mental retardation), migraine headaches and brain tumors.

A pediatric neurologist has completed an additional four years of medical school training after earning an MD degree from a medical school accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME).

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This degree qualifies them to practice medicine independently. After they complete their residency training in pediatrics, they must pass special exams offered by the American Board of Pediatrics or American Board of Neurology & Psychiatry before they can practice as a pediatric neurologist.

You might be a pediatric neurologist if you see patients who:

  • have epilepsy
  • have headaches, including migraines
  • are experiencing neurological disorders like brain tumors or strokes
  • have seizures, including epilepsy.

There are different types of seizures, but all involve abnormal electrical activity in the brain that causes involuntary nervous system activity such as muscle spasms and loss of consciousness. Seizures can be simple or complex; in some cases, individuals may lose awareness during a seizure but not experience any other symptoms, while others experience fearfulness and confusion after an episode.

Common conditions seen by pediatric neurologists include developmental delay (a child's failure to reach maturity at his/her expected rate), learning disabilities (difficulty with understanding new information), motor disorders (disorders that affect how your body moves) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). ASD refers to a spectrum of brain development problems characterized by difficulty engaging in normal social interactions with others while displaying repetitive behaviors such as hand flapping or rocking back and forth on their feet without explanation.

Common testing performed by pediatric neurologists

  • EEG: Electroencephalography is a noninvasive test that records electrical activity in the brain using electrodes placed on the scalp. The test can help differentiate between seizures and other disorders, but it is not always conclusive.
  • MRI: Magnetic resonance imaging uses magnetic fields and radio waves to create images of soft tissues in the body. It can be used to detect abnormalities such as tumors or inflammation in the brain, spinal cord or nerves.
  • CT scan: Computed tomography (CT) is a type of x-ray that produces cross-sectional images of internal organs and structures within your body. It can show tumors, bleeding inside your head and signs of stroke damage to arteries supplying blood flow to regions of your brain.
  • Blood tests: A doctor may order blood tests if there are signs indicating an underlying metabolic disorder related to movement problems such as low thyroid hormone levels causing slow reflexes or low iron levels causing lack energy/decreased endurance during physical activity; however these conditions are rarer than previously believed with only about 1% cases being found this way out of all cases diagnosed with movement disorders

Dealing with the nervous system. Pediatric neurology is a medical specialty that deals with the nervous system. It focuses on children, who have unique needs and preferences.

The goal of pediatric neurology is to prevent, treat and cure neurological disorders that affect children of all ages. This includes babies as well as young people in their teens or twenties who may have had problems since birth but whose symptoms only became apparent recently.

With an estimated 13 million children living with some type of neurological disorder, it’s no wonder that pediatric neurology is one of the fastest growing fields in medicine. The field has come a long way since its inception as a medical specialty over 100 years ago, but there is still much work to be done before all children get the care they need.

Updated: Dec 14, 2022
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What Is Pediatric Neurology. (2022, Dec 14). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/what-is-pediatric-neurology-essay

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