Child Mind Institute Provides Info on How Strep Throat Can Trigger OCD in Children
It is stressful enough for caregivers when children develop strep throat or other infections, but such illnesses can occasionally cause children to develop severe obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) or other debilitating symptoms overnight.
In a new series of resources, the Child Mind Institute discusses conditions known as PANS and PANDAS that can cause children as young as 3 or 4 years of age to refuse to eat or develop tics, depression, extreme rage, or even suicidal thoughts and behaviors.
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The link between strep infections and these acute-onset symptoms was identified about three decades ago and thought to be caused by the immune system erroneously attacking healthy brain cells. But many in the medical establishment still regard the connection with skepticism.
As a result, caregivers might face terrifying changes in their children and struggle to find effective treatment or doctors who even believe them.
The Child Mind Institute’s resources on PANS and PANDAS discuss how both conditions share the same systems, but the term PANDAS is used if a strep infection is involved and PANS if it is associated with other types of infections, such as mono, the flu, or pneumonia, or in cases where no cause is identified.
The resources provide the list of symptoms, a discussion on the debate in the scientific community, and the latest information on treatment. There are also resources on OCD, including a piece on how it can show up in school as children try to hide compulsive behaviors.
The resources include: