Strokes are more common in children than most people think, says a neurologist concerned that treatment is often delayed because adults are not alert to the symptoms.
Parents and healthcare professionals need to be aware that children can have strokes and should be prepared to respond quickly, Dr Mark Mackay says.
His team at the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute in Melbourne has done research that shows many parents of stroke victims do not immediately dial triple zero, even though they think the symptoms are serious.
Although no accurate statistics are kept, there are 150 to 600 childhood strokes in Australia a year.
Dr Mackay's team interviewed 28 parents, finding only half called triple zero, most did not consider the possibility of a stroke and a third decided to "wait and see" or called a relative before taking emergency action.
The median time from symptom onset to arrival at the emergency department was 1.2 hours, and some took as long as 24 hours.
But victims must receive treatment within four-and-a-half hours, he says.
The warning signs of strokes in children are the same as for adults.
There can be sudden weakness or numbness of the face, arm or leg, sudden difficulty in speaking, sudden problems with sight, sudden difficulty walking, dizziness or a sudden headache.
In the study, symptoms didn't vary by age, although seizures were more common in younger children and strokes mostly occurred at home and, to a lesser extent, at school.
"Think stroke, act fast and call triple zero," says Dr Mackay, who has presented his findings at an international conference hosted by the American Stroke Association.
"Getting to the hospital quickly is essential."
Research participant Sophie Pennington says a fast response saved the life of her daughter Harriet, who had a stroke at age three.
"Some people don't realise that children have strokes," she says. "They can recognise the condition in adults, but don't make the connection when similar symptoms occur in children."
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