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Children and Lyme Disease

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The effects of Lyme disease on children are often more severe than in adults. This may be due to the developing immune system of a child or perhaps relative to the physical size of the child. The strain of the disease the child has been infected with is also a factor.

I have known of children who were transformed from healthy, active and vibrant to bedridden, incontinent with involuntary muscle spasms and seizures within months after contracting Lyme disease. The most common symptoms are sore throats, heart palpitations, chest pain, abdominal pain, headaches and cranial nerve palsies.

Neurological symptoms like sensitivity to light, dizzy spells, stiff neck sleep and memory problems, numbness or tingling in the arms, hands, legs and feet, and a general feeling of weakness are also symptoms a child exhibit.

An eye examination often discloses a swollen optic nerve which is indicative of a neurological condition called pseudotumor cerebri-like syndrome. This condition stimulates growth of brain tumors and also causes severe headaches.

Young children become moody and irritable and these symptoms are often misread as behavior problems. Problems with concentration are also symptomatic of Lyme disease and may result in a misdiagnosis of attention deficit disorder.

A child can be born with Lyme disease if the mother was infected while pregnant and doesn't receive antibiotic treatment. The bacteria is transmitted through the bloodstream to the fetus. The result may be relatively mild to very severe with the percentage of severe being higher in the first trimester of pregnancy. The risk of retardation, respiratory problems, neurological infection, heart abnormalities and other organ damage is possible. A child born with Lyme disease may be have learning disabilities as well as be developmentally delayed. Some studies suggest that Lyme disease may also be transmitted through breast milk.

The best precaution for a pregnant or nursing woman who has been bitten by a tick is prompt antibiotic treatment. As in all situations involving the possibility of Lyme disease infection, it is very important to find a doctor who has been updated about the recent methods of testing, diagnosis and treatment regimen. That, in itself, will avoid the possibility of the disease becoming well disseminated throughout the body of an infant or child and cause irreversible damage.

Contact the Lyme Disease Foundation for information about treating physicians in your area: 1-800-886-LYME, (860) 525-2000, Lymefind@aol.com or http://www.lyme.org

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