Childhood dementia: What you must know about this rare, devastating condition
Childhood dementia is a rare neurological disorder, which is caused by progressive brain damage.
Unlike adult dementia, it is not a single disease but the result of a cluster of over 100 rare genetic diseases that children are born with, which gradually damage the brain, leading to memory loss, skill loss such as walking, talking, reading and playing.
Childhood dementia’s symptoms
Childhood dementia’s symptoms include confusion, memory loss, irregular sleeping patterns, behavioural problems, anxiety, fear, and more.
With the progression in disorder, children are likely to suffer more problems, including seizures, loss of vision and hearing, and difficulties affecting movement and vital organs.
An under-researched condition
Existing studies revealed that nearly half of all children with dementia die by the age of 10, and most do not survive into adulthood.
Despite its devastating impact, childhood dementia remains under-researched, prompting experts to stress the urgent need for more science-backed evidence, clinical studies, and public awareness.
Notably, the condition is associated with a number of deaths comparable to childhood cancer in countries such as the US, the UK, and Australia.
Experts have called for more funding, early diagnosis, and some great strategies for enhanced survival rates to bring some quality of life for affected children and their families.
