Fletcher Allen, a Vermont university hospital and medical center, serves all of
Vermont and the northern New York region. Located in Burlington, Fletcher Allen is a regional, academic healthcare center and teaching hospital in alliance with the University of Vermont.
Pediatric Neurology Services
Vermont Children's Hospital offers comprehensive care for the full scope of neurological problems in children.
Some of the conditions we treat include:
Headache
Headache is a common condition in children. Usually, headaches are not an indication of some other serious problem. Children can develop conditions similar to adult headaches although the headache symptoms may differ. They may be caused by an infection, stress, anxiety, or minor head trauma.
There are several different kinds of headaches:
- Migraine: A headache that can cause head pain, nausea , vomiting, abdominal pain and sensitivity to light and sound. They can affect infants as well as older children, and may last an hour or more.
- Stress-related or tension headache: a tightness or pressing on both sides of the head that can last from 30 minutes to several days.
- Chronic daily headache: A headache — such as a migraine or tension headache — that occurs on a more frequent basis. Headaches that happen more than 15 days a month for more than three months are often called chronic daily headaches.
- Cluster headache: A debilitating condition involving stabbing pain on one side of the head, usually lasting less than three hours. This is the least common type of childhood headache.
Seizures
A seizure refers to a change in behavior caused by abnormal, excessive electrical activity in the brain. Seizures can be mild or severe and may affect one or more parts of the body. They may produce physical conditions like convulsions. Short seizures alone may not lead to a serious health condition. However, they may signal a more serious underlying health problem. Prolonged seizures can cause permanent health problems.
Seizures in children may be caused by epilepsy, head injury or trauma, infections, brain tumors, stroke, very high fever (also known as febrile seizures) and other factors. They can also occur for unknown reasons.
Developmental Delay
Development delay refers to a continual, major delay in a child’s development. It occurs when a child does not reach developmental milestones at the expected times. Delay can occur in one or several areas including motor, language, social or thinking skills. Children with only slight or temporary developmental lapses are not believed to have developmental delay. The condition can result from genetic causes such as Down syndrome, or complications of pregnancy and childbirth. In many cases, the cause is unknown.
Other Neurological Conditions Treated:
- Seizures and Epilepsy
- Headache/migraines
- Developmental delay disorders
- Neuro-metabolic disorders
- Neuro-genetic disorders
- Neuromuscular Disease
- Disorders of muscle tone (spasticity and hypotonia)
- Movement disorders (ataxia, tremor, tics)
- Pediatric and Neonatal Stroke
- Demyelinating Disorders, including Multiple Sclerosis
- Epilepsy
- Headache
- Movement Disorders
- Neurogenetic Disorders, including Neurofibromatosis and Tuberosis Sclerosis
- Neurologic Diagnostic Testing
- Neurologic Disorders
- Neuro-metabolic Disorders
- Neuromuscular Disorders
- Neuro-rehabilitation
- Neurosurgery
- Tics & Tourette syndrome
- Autism
