Pediatric Ataxia & the Inner Ear Infection

If you are the parent of a child who suffers from a neurological disorder, you certainly understand the complications associated with decreased mobility, and impaired activities of daily living. As with many complications of the neurological system, children who suffer from infections are at the greatest risk for development a sudden case of symptoms that, when not treated, could lead to permanent damage.

Ataxia is a complication involved the neurological component of the musculature system in a child. When present, your child exhibits a variety of complications, including an inability to control voluntary movements. Most often, this loss of mobility is attributed to an infection or damage to the back of the brain, known as the cerebellum.

In your child's growth and development, the cerebellum played a key role in promoting voluntary movement, such as lifting a spoon, kicking a ball or even crawling and walking. When damaged by injury or infection, the ability of the cerebellum to transmit signals to the various muscle groups, becomes impeded.

While infection is a key complication of ataxia, aside from birth defect, many parents are surprised to learn that ataxia can be attributed to an infection as simple as an inner ear infection. While we are familiar with the tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, and the abnormal gait that is associated with dizziness and inner ear infections, many children will also develop a complete case of ataxia, unable to walk normally when their infection has gone untreated. Additionally, in viral infections, such as chicken pox, the cerebellum may be at risk for complications when outbreak becomes severe, leading to impaired mobility in the child.