Research team to focus on child strokes

UP TO five children a day in Britain suffer undiagnosed strokes and their consequences, according to research.

Experts are to study six million youngsters to combat the "striking lack of public and medical awareness" of childhood stroke, which may be as prevalent as some cancers.

Scientists at Bristol University will monitor victims for a year after their first attack to get to know more about the symptoms.

In children the average time between onset of symptoms and presentation to a medical professional is five-and-a-half hours, so many young sufferers are diagnosed too late to benefit from life-saving treatments.

Paediatric neurologists, physiotherapists and radiologists collaborating on the Study of Childhood Stroke (Socs) hope to be informed of all children who have had a stroke in the study area until 30 June next year.

Researchers will collect information from medical notes and brain scans and visit children 12 months after the stroke.