Children with MS

If multiple sclerosis (MS) occurs in someone under the age of 16, it is usually called paediatric MS. It is rare to find children with MS, but not impossible.

As with adult MS, symptoms are different depending on where the demyelination has taken place within the central nervous system. There are a wide variety of symptoms that a child could develop. These could include

• Balance and coordination difficulty
• Problems with thinking clearly and word recall
• Problems with movement particularly on one side of the body
• Visual issues such as blurred or double vision
• Fatigue, extreme tiredness or exhaustion that doesn’t correlate to physical activity
• Numbness and tingling sensations in the limbs or face that last for more than 24 hours

Children with MS can experience more frequent relapses than adults do, however, they generally recover more completely thereafter. Studies have also found that at least one-third of children with Paediatric MS experience impaired cognitive functioning which tends to deteriorate over time.