P11. Quality of Life after pediatric ischemic stroke: Five year follow-up of swiss children

Abstract

Aims Children after pediatric arterial ischemic stroke (AIS) are known to suffer from neurological and neuropsychological impairments but limited data is available concerning quality of life (QoL) outcome. The aim of this present study is to examine long-term effects on QoL in a population-based AIS sample from Switzerland. Methods Children registered in the Swiss Neuropaediatric Stroke Registry (SNPSR) and suffering an AIS during the years 2000–2008 were included. Five years after stroke, children and parents rated QoL with the Kidscreen-27 (Physical Wellbeing, Psychological Wellbeing, Parents/Autonomy, Social Support, and School Environment). QoL and subdomains were related to age at stroke, gender, post-stroke cognitive abilities, socio economic status of parents, and lesion characteristics. Results Concerning the children’s rating, of sixty-nine children (29% female; age at stroke 12.02 years, range: 5–21) only 2.9% reported overall QoL below average. There was no significant correlation between QoL and age at stroke or sex, females had a tendency to report lower QoL. Children with combined lesions (cortical and subcortical) had lower overall QoL. Children with left sided lesions had a tendency of lower QoL. Mann–Whitney U comparison of means showed IQ to be independent of QoL. Altogether, children rated social support as the most impaired subdomain. The parent’s QoL ratings correlated with those of their children (Pearson r = .539, p = .000) but was lower than those of the children, reaching significance in some domains. Conclusions QoL of children after AIS in general is not or mildly disturbed, but parents feel more problems for their children. Social support was for children and parents the most disturbed domain, pointing to marked problems with peers. Combined cerebral lesions were the only significant effect on QoL. These results point to the fact that despite of neurological and neuropsychological problems, these children are well integrated in society, which might be an effect of adequate support by parents, teachers and/or therapeutic interventions.