Neurologic complications in children under five years with sickle cell disease

• Published in: Neuroscience letters Vol. 706; pp. 201 - 206
• Main Authors: Galadanci, Aisha A., DeBaun, Michael R., Galadanci, Najibah A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ireland Elsevier B.V 27.07.2019
• Subjects: Anemia, Sickle Cell - complications; Child, Preschool; Children under five years; Epilepsy - etiology; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Neurologic complications; Risk Factors; Sickle cell disease; Sinus Thrombosis, Intracranial - etiology; Stroke - etiology; Sickle cell disease; Neurologic complications; Children under five years
• ISSN: 0304-3940; 1872-7972
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2019.04.030

•Neurologic complications in children under five years of age with SCD are common.•Diagnosis of neurologic complications is difficult in young children with SCD.•Silent cerebral infarct and cognitive impairment are the most common neurologic complications.•Detection of overt stroke in very young children is challenging. Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is one of the most common genetic diseases in the world affecting every organ. The major challenge in the medical care of children with SCD is preventing end-organ dysfunction, particularly the brain. Major neurologic complications in children less than five years with SCD include, but are not limited to, Silent cerebral infarct, cerebral sinus thrombosis, epilepsy, reversible encephalopathy syndrome, and ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke. Recurrent headaches and migraine are not rare in children under five years with SCD. This review will focus on the neurologic complications and the description of the modifiable risk factors in children less than 5 years of age with emphasis on differences between high and low resource settings. Neurologic complications of children under 5 years of age and the modifiable risk factors. The PUBMED database was searched using medical subject headings (MeSH) and keywords for articles regarding neurologic complications in children under 5 years of age. Neurologic complications in children under five years of age with SCD may be more frequent than currently reported, among which Silent cerebral infarct and cognitive impairment are the most common.