1Recognizing the month of May 2014 as "Pediatric Stroke Awareness
2Month" in Pennsylvania.

3WHEREAS, Stroke, also known as cerebrovascular disease,
4happens when blood flow to the brain stops, resulting in tissue
5injury and loss of brain function; and

6WHEREAS, A stroke is a medical emergency that can cause
7permanent neurologic damage, or even death, if not promptly
8diagnosed and treated; and

9WHEREAS, Stroke is not restricted to adults; and

10WHEREAS, Stroke is an important cause of neurologic morbidity
11in childhood; and

12WHEREAS, Stroke can occur in children of any age; and

13WHEREAS, According to the American Stroke Association, stroke
14occurs in approximately one out of every 3,500 live births and

1has an overall annual incidence of 4.6 per 100,000 children 19
2years of age and under; and

3WHEREAS, Many children with stroke syndromes are misdiagnosed
4with more common conditions that mimic stroke, such as
5migraines, epilepsy or viral illnesses; and

6WHEREAS, Pediatric stroke risk factors include arteriopathy
7and vascular malformations, congenital heart disease, sickle
8cell disease and hematologic abnormalities among others; and

9WHEREAS, Approximately 60% of infants and children who have a
10pediatric stroke will have serious, permanent neurological
11disabilities, including paralysis, seizures, speech and vision
12problems and attention, learning and behavioral difficulties;
13and

14WHEREAS, Those disabilities may require ongoing physical
15therapy and surgeries; and

16WHEREAS, Stroke recurs within five years in 10% of children
17who have had an ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke; and

18WHEREAS, According to the National Center of Health
19Statistics, stroke in children is at least as frequent as brain
20tumors and is among the top ten causes of death in children
21between the ages of one and 14 in the United States; and

22WHEREAS, The death rate for children who experience a stroke
23before the age of one is the highest out of all child age
24groups; and

25WHEREAS, The permanent health concerns and treatments
26resulting from strokes that occur during childhood and young
27adulthood have a considerable impact on children, families and
28society; and

29WHEREAS, There are no approved therapies for the treatment of
30acute stroke in infants and children; and

1WHEREAS, Many of the procedures increasingly used in children
2with cerebrovascular disease have been adapted from studies in
3adults; and

4WHEREAS, Accumulating experience with antithrombotic and
5anticoagulant treatment in children suggests that these agents
6can be safely used in children, though their efficacy and proper
7dose still need to be established by controlled trials; and

8WHEREAS, Thrombolytic agents should be as effective in
9children as in adults, but safety data is inadequate for
10children, and the timing and dosage need to be determined for
11children and adolescents; and

12WHEREAS, Not enough is known about the cause, treatment and
13prevention of pediatric stroke; and

14WHEREAS, Medical research is the only means by which people
15can identify and develop effective treatment and prevention
16strategies for pediatric stroke; and

17WHEREAS, Early diagnosis and treatment of pediatric stroke
18greatly improves the chances that the affected child will
19recover and not experience a recurrence; and

20WHEREAS, Continued coordination and cooperation among
21researchers, families and the public is needed to improve
22treatments and prognoses for children who suffer strokes;
23therefore be it

24RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize May
252014 as "Pediatric Stroke Awareness Month" and urge the people
26of this Commonwealth to support the efforts, programs, services
27and organizations that work to enhance public awareness of
28pediatric stroke.