Clinicians at Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital have developed a new service for children suffering stroke, the first of its kind in Australia.  The coordinated multi-disciplinary model of care was launched at the hospital on Sunday 17 February.

Stroke is among the top ten causes of death in newborns and children.  Babies are just as likely to have strokes as adults in their 50s, but the cause remains unknown.  At least 50% of stroke survivors are left with significant disabilities and 20-40% of children have recurrent strokes.

Fifty new cases of stroke present at the RCH each year.  Globally, only two other hospitals see more children with stroke than RCH.

“Early recognition of stroke results in better outcomes,” said Dr Mark Mackay neurologist and head of stroke services at the RCH.  “But while parents and health professionals are unaware of stroke occurring in children clinicians know that delays in diagnosis and recovery will continue.”

The long term impact of disability is more significant in children because children who suffer stroke have more years living than adults who have strokes.  Children with stroke can live with the outcome for 70 years.  Children do not have the same risk factors as adults – smoking, stress, high-blood pressure – therefore results of research in adults are less applicable.

The RCH Stroke Program is a three pronged approach –

• Clinical program – to provide excellence in clinical care through a multi-disciplinary program
• Research – to establish Melbourne’s RCH as the leading Australasian paediatric stroke program
• Facilitating the development of a parent led support group called StrokeKidz – providing better information and support for parents

The multi-disciplinary groups include clinical imaging, occupational therapists, speech pathologists, physiotherapists, researchers, neurologists and haematologists.

The centralised statewide stroke service will have a significant impact on outcomes for children with stroke.  It has the advantage of a critical mass to optimise recovery and paediatric expertise in the complexities of childhood stroke.

Minister for Health Daniel Andrews MP joined stroke victims, six year old Eilish Jukes and Brooke Parsons, who is now 28 years old and experienced stroke 13 years ago, and families of children recovering from stroke. 

Eilish was three and a half when she slumped over and couldn’t walk or talk.  This was the beginning of ten weeks of hospital admissions, visits and tests.  Eilish is doing well but still has regular appointments with physio- and speech therapists, as well as blood tests and checkups.  She spent six weeks in hospital and went home in a wheelchair. 

Brooke was thirteen and home alone when she fell through a window and couldn’t get up.  When her parents got her to hospital she just wanted to sleep so migraine was diagnosed.  Several hours, and after visits to two hospitals she was taken to the RCH; by then a piece of her brain the size of a 20cent coin had died.  Fifteen years on Brooke still does physio- and hydro-therapy three times a week.  :She says, “Recovery is a road ahead, not something you look back on.”  She works as an integration aide, remembering her years at school with an aide.

Enquiries Julie Webber 0407 327 418 or 9345 5522 and page

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