THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN EXPERIENCING WHAT MAY BE SYMPTOMS OF MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

MS Not Just An "Adult Disease"; First-Of-Its Kind Network Of Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Centers of Excellence Established Nationwide

Story Summary:

Every hour in the United States, someone is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system. While it’s the most common neurological condition affecting young to middle-aged adults, emerging research suggests up to 10,000 children in the U.S. are living with the condition and another 15,000 have experienced MS-like symptoms such as double vision, numbness and unexplained fatigue.

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is establishing this first-ever network of Pediatric MS Centers of Excellence as part of its new $30 million promise 2010 initiative supporting important yet under-explored areas of MS research and patient care.

Medical experts say one of the many challenges with pediatric MS is that it usually is not on a pediatrician’s or a neurologist’s radar screen when kids are reporting possible MS symptoms. These centers will give doctors the tools they need to help identify and treat MS early on. For more, go to www.nationalmssociety.org.

Soundbites

Lauren Krupp, MD, Project Director, National Pediatric MS Center, Stony Brook University Hospital, Long Island, NY
Lee Goncalves, 13-year-old boy living with MS