Dementia expert shares eight red flag symptoms of Alzheimer's disease in children

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Alzheimer's disease is more commonly associated with elderly people, but this debilitating condition can also affect children on rare occurrences.Parents have been urged by health professionals to look out for eight "visible" symptoms of the condition, reports the Mirror.While Alzheimer's tends to affect those over the age of 65, rare disorders like 'Childhood Alzheimer's' can affect between one in 60,000 people with Niemann-Pick (NPC) disease, and one in 40,000 people with Sanfilippo syndrome.The conditions referred to as "childhood Alzheimer's" as many of the symptoms of the above diseases are similar to those of Alzheimer's in adults.

Sanfilippo syndrome is a metabolic disorder that can cause brain damage, inducing symptoms like difficulty walking, eating or swallowing.While NPC disease causes issues like difficulty with speech and coordination, both disorders belong to a group called lysosomal storage disorders, and are extremely rare.Identifying these diseases can be challenging for parents in the first few years of a child's life, as these conditions can be better identified in kids aged four and above.As these conditions are very rare, doctors will circle through a list of many other ailments that the child's symptoms suggests before diagnosing them with something as unusual as Childhood Alzheimer's.The tests the doctor's carry out will be genetic, in order to confirm the diagnosis.

Approximately one in 70,000 babies are diagnosed with Sanfilippo syndrome, which means that it is essential you notice any unexplainable signs your child is showing.This condition can however been diagnosed through the mother's pregnancy, as tests are able to see whether the baby's lysosomes are functioning correctly.The causes of