Source: Independent >> Read Full Article and Comment
Ill-informed paediatricians are reluctant to refer
By Lauren Revans
Sunday, 10 January 2010
Lauren Revans
When James Scott was seven he developed Rasmussen’s encephalitis, leaving him with severe epilepsy
Ill-informed paediatricians are denying hundreds of children access to surgery that could cure their epilepsy and dramatically improve their quality of life, a leading expert on childhood epilepsy has claimed.
Speaking exclusively to The Independent on Sunday, Professor Helen Cross, the Prince of Wales’s Chair of Childhood Epilepsy, said there were an estimated 400 under-18s a year in the UK who should be having surgery for their epilepsy, but that last year only 100 were operated on.
“Taking account of the backlog, plus the 300 children a year missing out, at any one point in the UK there are probably 2,000 kids who could benefit from surgery,” she said.
Cross, who is also honorary consultant in paediatric neurology at Great Ormond Street Hospital, said there remained a lack of knowledge and a reluctance to refer among many paediatricians. Although official guidelines state that all children with epilepsy should be reviewed at least annually by a paediatrician with specialist training and expertise, Cross said this was not happening. “People not in the right place to make the decision are deciding that these children are not surgical candidates,” she said… Continue Reading
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