What causes walking difficulties in children?

Question

Hi doctor,

My daughter is three years old, and she has a problem with walking. These are the abnormal findings in her MRI report:

Bilateral high parietal and external capsule foci of high FLAIR signal are indistinct in T1, with no mass effect or perifocal edema.
Bilateral posterior parietal periventricular patchy high T2 and FLAIR signal, likely terminal zone of myelination.
Mild cerebellar atrophic change with widened cerebellar folia.

What is your advice? We are still determining the cause. Is there a treatment for her?

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I read your query and understand your concerns.

The MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) report's findings suggest brain damage due to a lack of oxygen supply. This would have happened around the birth time. The exact mechanism and the cause of it need to be better-defined in most patients. If the deficits she has are nonprogressive, and she has good upper limb function, then we can help her by relieving the spasticity in her lower limbs (legs). There is a small surgery called selective dorsal rhizotomy which may help her up to a certain extent. But the surgical survival decision should be taken only after a detailed neurological and cognitive evaluation.

Thank you.