Stroke in children

Although stroke is popularly believed to affect only elderly adults, stroke is among the top ten causes of death among infants and children.However the causes of stroke in children are very different from those in adults. Heart disease, sickle cell disease, cancer, meningitis, chicken pox, genetic factors, and congenital abnormalities account for most of the cases. Almost three quarters (71 percent) of cases were of the type known as hemorrhagic stroke. However, boys were more likely than girls to have a fatal stroke at all time points and at all ages. Also, boys were almost 50 percent more likely to die of stroke during infancy than girls.
Female hormone estrogen may partly explain these differences. Estrogen protects against heart disease and stroke. It surges in early infancy and then again at puberty in girls. They suggest that on the other hand, there may be genetic factors which make boys more susceptible to brain injury and damage.