When the Misdiagnosis is Child Abuse – The Atlantic
See it hereSome pediatricians are trained to determine whether kids’ injuries are accidental. Their assessments can be subjective—but they’re often accepted as fact. And when they’re wrong, parents can needlessly end up in jail.
Understanding PANDAS with Madeleine Cunningham PhD – WCIA.com
See it hereMadeleine Cunningham PhD is one of the foremost researchers in the country. She explains that PANS and PANDAS are infection-induced autoimmune conditions that disrupt a patient’s normal neurologic functioning, resulting in a sudden onset of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and/or motor tics.
PANS and PANDAS can include a variety of other symptoms such as anorexia (food restrictions), anxiety, irritability, hyperactivity, sleep disturbances, mood swings and urinary problems.
International PANS Registry – pansregistry.org
See it hereThe Pediatric Research & Advocacy Initiative has announced establishment of an international database of PANS patients to assist researchers and hasten development of treatments.
Local physician raises awareness of PANDAS – delmartimes.net
See it hereFor young children, an innocuous sore throat could be a sign of PANDAS (pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders), a condition that a Solana Beach-based doctor in California has been centering his practice around.
Interview with Beth Maloney – The AutoImmune Hour
Listen hereWhat if one moment your child seems ‘normal’ and then experiences a radical behavioral change? She won’t go to school, wets the bed, or pulls out her hair. He has obsessive-compulsive or repetitive behaviors, motor and verbal tics, maybe even rages inexplicably. Ms. Maloney wants you and your doctor to consider whether an infection might be the cause before jumping to the conclusion that it’s psychiatric. The disorder is called PANDAS or PANS.
Listen in as Ms. Maloney shares:
• What causes PANDAS and PANS?
• How are they diagnosed?
• What if my child’s doctor does not understand or does not want to consider PANDAS?
• What are the treatment options for children with PANDAS?
Plus so much more…
State’s rush to judgment almost took this boy from his family – Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram
See it hereJaxen Steimlosk, 4, of North Yarmouth has lived with serious health problems for most of his life. But officials accused his mother of medical child abuse and tried to assume custody.
Dr. Eli Newberger, a Boston pediatrician who is a leading expert on medical child abuse, reviewed Jaxen’s case and wrote in a report that the family was “grievously harmed” by Maine’s investigation.
“Never previously have I witnessed such a rush to judgment, a defamatory campaign against a mother and her family in a community,” wrote Newberger, who was hired by the Steimlosks’ attorney, Beth Maloney, and was prepared to testify on their behalf. “The paucity of interest in seeking the truth of the matter is jaw-dropping.”
Calgary parents raise awareness about little-known childhood illness – CBC News
See it here“It’s a disease from hell.”
That’s how Marnie Deschenes describes the illness that struck her oldest son just before his 8th birthday.
“He just started to rage like a caged wild animal,” said Deschenes as she recalls the day in June, 2013 when — as the family was out running errands — she witnessed a sudden and dramatic shift in the little boy’s personality.
Bad medicine – USA Today
See it hereCritics say powerful pediatrician too quick to diagnose child abuse, traumatizing families.
Hundreds of parents say kids wrongly taken from them after doctors misdiagnosed abuse – NBC News
See it here“They made us feel like we were monsters,” said a Florida mother who temporarily lost custody of her 4-month-old son based on a doctor’s report.
What Parent Should Know About PANDAS – U.S. News and World Report
See it hereALTHOUGH RARE, IN SOME cases a strep infection can precipitate or worsen symptoms of mental illness. Known as pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections, or PANDAS, symptoms typically appear in kids between age 3 and puberty, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.
