New publication explains the latest understanding of MS in children
Subject experts highlight the advances, unanswered questions and new challenges in understanding, diagnosis and management
Last updated: 30th August 2016
MS is usually thought of as an adult condition, but children and teenagers can also develop it. In fact, children as young as two years old have been diagnosed with childhood MS (also called pediatric/paediatric MS).
Diagnosing MS in children is more challenging than in adults due to the frequency of other childhood disorders with similar symptoms and characteristics. However, the understanding of MS and other demyelinating disorders in childhood has advanced considerably in the last ten years.
The International Pediatric MS Study Group (a global network of adult and pediatric neurologists, scientists, and other healthcare professionals) have written a series of articles, highlighting the advances, unanswered questions and new challenges in understanding, diagnosis and management. These articles have been published in a Neurology journal supplement, which you can access for free.
We have produced a short publication which summarises the key points from each of these articles, with links to the full articles. This publication is aimed at people with some prior knowledge of MS in children, but is written in plain, accessible language.
Download the publication
You may also be interested in a publication called Childhood MS: A guide for parents. This free resource aims to help you to understand more about the care a child should receive, and the kind of support parents and families are entitled to in order to manage the changes MS can bring.