Understanding Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in Elementary Children: Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment

Running head: MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS (MS) AND ELEMENTARY CHILDREN 1
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Elementary Children
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MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS (MS) AND ELEMENTARY CHILDREN 2
Introduction
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an infection that affects the Central Nervous System (CNS)
including the brain, the optic nerves, and the spinal code. MS is an autoimmune disease,
indicating that the immune system erroneously fights own body tissues instead of working to
protect the body from pathogens. MS primarily targets the myelin, which is a protective layer
around the nerve cells in the Neutral Nervous System. It helps in the facilitation of nerve
conduction, which involves sending messages from the Central Nervous System to all other
parts of the body. Attacking the myelin slows or interrupts nerve impulse transmission, which
leads to MS symptoms. The process is called demyelination (Giesser, 2016).
Although MS is most common in adults between the age of 20 and 50, it also affects
children. Equal numbers of boys and girls below the age of 10 experience symptoms of MS. The
disease affects more girls after puberty than boys. 98% of children experiencing the disease
have the relapsing-remitting type. Administration of disease-modifying drugs helps control the
impact and number of the relapses (Polman, 2010). This research paper aims to explore MS and
elementary children. The paper provides a summary on whether children can get MS, why they
get it, how to diagnose childhood MS, the symptoms of childhood MS, the various types of MS,
how a child develops MS, and how to treat it. It also explains the necessary measures to support
children with MS and their families.
Can Children Get MS?
Although MS mostly affects individuals at the age of 20-50, it also affects children under
the age of 18. Health professionals increasingly recognize MS possibility in children. Research
highlights that 1% of individuals with MS likely experience its symptoms under the age of 10,

MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS (MS) AND ELEMENTARY CHILDREN 3
while 2% of the individuals experience symptoms under the age of 18. Therefore, children can
get MS just like any other person (Murray, Saunders & Holland, 2012).
Why Children Get MS
The specific reasons that cause MS to children are not known or established clearly.
However, it is clear that children do not get MS by any factor under their control. Additionally,
MS is not a contagious infection and children cannot get it from others neither can he or she
pass it to family members, classmates, and friends (Polman, 2010). Furthermore, MS is not
genetically inherited, and thus one cannot inherit it from parents. Just like adults, children get
the disease through reactions to infectious agents such as bacteria and virus. Therefore,
predicting whom will get MS is very challenging. Similarly, it is equally difficult to take steps
that prevent one from getting the disease (Finlayson, 2012).
Diagnosis of Childhood MS
There are various criteria for diagnosing childhood MS. The criteria for diagnosing adult
MS and childhood MS are currently similar. To diagnose MS, the health professional looks for
evidence of a minimum of two separate and neurologic attacks that took place a month apart and
in various brain areas or spinal code areas (Mohr, 2010). The doctor looks for evidence types
such as:
i. Medical history through a careful examination of the patient’s history in order to
identify any past or current events or symptoms which could indicate the
occurrence of demyelination in the spinal code or brain.
ii. Neurologic examination, which includes changes in visual nerve appearances,
altered reflexes, strength or coordination reduction, and touch sensitivity.