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Stroke in Children Rare But Costly

The prognosis for such children "varies widely because the impact of a stroke varies widely," Vargus-Adams said. "A child with a very severe stroke might spend weeks in the hospital, then weeks or in some cases months in a rehabilitation center. Almost all have an ongoing need for therapeutic care after discharge -- special equipment, perhaps."

One group of children not included in the new study are those who have strokes before birth, she said. "There is a huge subset of children who have strokes in utero and have a label of cerebral palsy," Vargus-Adams said. "Given what we know about cerebral palsy in general, we can say that the number of children with in utero stroke can approach or exceed the number who have strokes in childhood."

Those children who have strokes in childhood often respond well to therapy, she added. "They have the luxury of being able to go home, as opposed to going into a nursing home," Vargus-Adams said.

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