In the recent study published in the American Academy of Neurology has found out that colds and minor infections can temporarily heighten the risk of stroke in children.
According to the National Stroke Association, not only old people can suffer this illness. NSA's recent study concluded that stroke is one of the leading causes of death in children-affecting 6 in every 100, 000 kids in the United States.
Since colds and minor infections have already been linked with an increased risk of cerebral ischemic stroke in adults, researchers have hypothesized that the effect of colds maybe the same for children.
Dr. Lars Marquardt from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany noted that "because conventional risk factors are less prevalent in children, inflammatory conditions may be more relevant contributors to stroke risk in children."
Conventional pediatric stroke risk factors such as congenital heart disease apparently resulted only to a small number of strokes in kids, that was why the researchers thought there might be other factors that contribute to the illness.
Gathering data from the 2.5 million children in the Kaiser Pediatric Stroke Study, researchers have discovered 102 children who suffered an arterial ischemic stroke (AIS) without a major infection.
By studying these children's medical records two years before the incident, the researchers found out that 80 percent had respiratory infections before the stroke.
10 children who suffered pediatric stroke also visited their pediatrician with complaints of infection within three days of the stroke.
Because of these data, the researchers determined that children who experienced AIS were twelve time more likely to develop and infection within three days before the incident.
However, one of the authors of the study said that their findings imply "that infection has a strong but short-lived effect on stroke risk."
"We've seen this increase in stroke risk from infection in adults, but until now, an association has not been studied in children. It is possible that inflammatory conditions contribute more to the stroke risk in children, however, further research is needed to explore this possible association," said Dr. Heather Fullerton. She also recommended further research and laboratory tests to measure other factors that can affect pediatric stroke.
Nevertheless, Dr. Marquadt emphasized that the risk of stroke occurring in children is still very low. He also noted that parents should not be in panic should their child develops a simple cold.
