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Childhood stroke in Sweden I: incidence, symptoms, risk factors and short‐term outcome
Author(s) -
Christerson S,
Strömberg B
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
acta pædiatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/j.1651-2227.2010.01925.x
Subject(s) - medicine , pediatrics , stroke (engine) , incidence (geometry) , population , cohort , risk factor , cohort study , physics , environmental health , optics , engineering , mechanical engineering
Aim: To evaluate the incidence, presenting symptoms, diagnostic delay, risk factors and short‐term outcome of childhood stroke in a population‐based cohort of Swedish children. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of children experiencing their first stroke during a 7‐year period in Uppsala‐Örebro Health Care Region covering one‐fifth of the Swedish population. Arterial ischaemic stroke (AIS), cerebral sinus venous stroke and nontraumatic haemorrhagic stroke (HS) in children aged >28 days and <18 years were included. Results: We identified 51 children (23 boys and 28 girls; median age 13). The average annual incidence of stroke was 1.8 per 100 000 children. AIS was found in 51% of the children, HS in 41% and cerebral sinus venous stroke in 8%. One‐third of the children had underlying diseases, and one‐third had vascular malformations. Six girls used oral contraceptives, three of these were smokers and two had iron deficiency anaemia. Two children died in the acute stage (4%), and 40/49 (82%) had some neurological dysfunction at discharge. Conclusion: The incidence of childhood stroke was 1.8 per 100 000 children and year, and the primary mortality was 4%. Risk factors of importance were oral contraceptives, smoking and anaemia in combinations.