More than 1 in 20 U.S. children have a dizziness or
balance problem, and only one-third of them had
received treatment in the previous year, scientists
report. The findings highlight a poorly understood
health problem and may lead to improved medical care
and prevention of these conditions.
Dizziness and balance problems can be difficult to
recognize in kids. Younger children in particular
may have trouble describing their symptoms. These
problems can be a sign of a temporary ear infection
or a more serious neurological disorder that might
have long-term developmental consequences.
Experts have long suspected that dizziness and
balance problems are often overlooked and untreated,
but the scope of the problem has been poorly
understood.
Previous estimates of these problems in children
have ranged from 5% to 18%. But these estimates were
based on limited studies conducted in other
countries.
To better understand the prevalence among U.S.
children, a team led by researchers at NIH’s
National Institute on Deafness and Other
Communication Disorders (NIDCD) analyzed data from a
2012 survey of parents who reported on their
children’s dizziness and balance problems.
The researchers analyzed data on nearly 11,000
children, ages 3 to 17. Parents were asked if, in
the past year, their children had been bothered by
symptoms of dizziness or balance problems such as
vertigo (feeling that you or your surroundings are
spinning), unsteadiness upon standing, frequent
falls, or other related symptoms. Their findings
were reported online on January 23, 2016, in the
Journal of Pediatrics.
Analyses showed that 5.3% of U.S. children (nearly
3.3 million) had dizziness or balance problems.
Prevalence increased with age, with 7.5% percent of
kids ages 15-17 and 6.0% of children ages 12-14
having any dizziness or balance problem. The
prevalence was 3.6% for children ages 6-8 and 4.1%
for kids ages 3-5. Nearly 1 in 5 affected kids
(18.6%, or 600,000 children) had symptoms rated as
“moderate,” “big,” or “very big” problems.
Only 36% of the children with dizziness and balance
problems had been seen by a health professional in
the previous year, and 30% received treatment.
Diagnoses made included neurological disorders, ear
infections, concussion, malformation of the ear,
prescription medications, severe headaches or
migraines, and vision problems.
Kids with hearing difficulties were more likely to
have dizziness or balance problems than children who
had normal hearing. Other risk factors linked to
dizziness and balance problems included frequent
headaches, certain developmental delays, and
occurrence in the previous year of seizures,
stuttering/stammering, or anemia.
“These findings suggest that dizziness and balance
problems are fairly common among children, and
parents and providers should be aware of the impact
these problems can have on our children,” says NIDCD
Director Dr. James F. Battey, Jr. “Parents who
notice dizziness and balance problems in their
children should consult a health care provider to
rule out a serious underlying condition.”
For more information
The Journal of Pediatrics
Epidemiology of Dizziness and Balance Problems in
Children in the United States: A Population-Based
Study.
Li CM, Hoffman HJ, Ward BK, Cohen HS, Rine RM. J
Pediatr. 2016 Jan 23.
Link...
National Institutes of Health
Link...
MDN |