"FloridaMS.org"

Children With MS
Although rare, multiple sclerosis is occasionally found in adolescents. The introduction of MRI has allowed easier identification of the disease earlier in life. MS usually affects young adults, but has been shown to begin during childhood in 3% to 5% of all cases. The onset of MS before the age of 10 is exceptional. It is interesting to note, however, the Division of Neurology at the Toronto Children’s Hospital in Canada, diagnosed a 10 month old with MS. To date, this is the youngest case on record. Children with MS experience exacerbations with symptoms similar to adults, ranging from optic neuritis, to bladder and bowel dysfunction, vertigo, or limb weakness.

When a child has MS, treatment challenges are different. The parent, not the child, decides which drug, if any, will be taken.

Recreational and school activities can be impacted by physical limitations. This may lead to difficulty making friends, depression or low self-esteem. Some children have frequent absences from school due to MS relapses or extreme fatigue. This may lead to problems with grades, mainly caused by cognitive (the process of being aware, knowing, thinking, learning and judging) issues related to MS.

Drugs currently available to adults have not been thoroughly investigated for the treatment of MS in children and adolescents.

The overall outcome of MS in children is apparently no worse than in adults and the disease may even be less aggressive in children.

The potential to treat MS has significantly changed the prognosis. Early diagnosis is important, since early treatment can prevent or delay the development of disability.