PANDAS: A Scary and Controversial Disorder

"Could a sudden, severe change in a child's behavior be brought on by something as common as strep throat? Many experts -- and distraught parents -- say yes. We dig deeper to find out what's going on, and which children are at risk."

7 Signs of PANDAS:

- Developmental regression A child may suddenly start acting much younger than his actual age. He'll often throw temper tantrums or revert to baby talk.

- Acute severe onset of ritual behaviors The child suddenly engages in frequent hand-washing (a common symptom of OCD) or can't come to the dinner table without bringing nine specific books, for example

- Tics These can be vocal or motor and may include head shrugging, throat clearing, and eye twitching or rolling.

- Severe anxiety She may no longer want to attend school, or she suddenly has fears about catching illnesses.

- Separation anxiety A child who slept in his own bed now must be in yours, for instance.

- Bedwetting and frequent daytime urination The child needs to use the bathroom several times per hour or suddenly starts wetting the bed again, even over the age of 8.

- A sudden backslide in handwriting or drawing skills The motor abnormalities caused by PANDAS can interfere with a child's fine motor skills.

Interesting read on Parents . com

gdt 3/14/2012