Here's an article written by Dr. Jones which I thought might interest you.You will notice I left his phone number there...because he is the only LLMD who has given permission for us to do that.
The Children of Lyme Disease
Charles Ray Jones, MD
Pediatrician, Private Practice, New Haven, CT (203) 772-1123
Current research indicates that the Lyme disease bacteria,
Borrelia burgdorferi, can be transmitted within
hours after an infected tick attachment. Failure of parents
and teachers to recognize Lyme disease early in its
course can result in a child developing a chronic
difficult to treat infection in the brain, eyes, joints,
heart and elsewhere in the body.
In my experience treating
6,000+ children birth to 18 with Lyme disease,
50% have no tick attachment history, 10% or less
have an erythema migrans (bullseye rash) history,
but all have a history of living in or having visited
a Lyme endemic area and have a decline
in the way they play and perform in school.
They are tired, wilt easily, have dark circles under their
eyes and are sick. Lyme disease has a profound negative
impact on a child?s life, cognitive function and ability to
perform maximally in school. Severe fatigue unrelieved by rest
results in decreased stamina and a decreased ability to play and
to do school work. Insomnia, headaches, nausea, abdominal pain,
impaired concentration, poor short-term memory, an inability to
sustain attention, confusion, uncharacteristic behavior outbursts
and mood swings, fevers/chills, joint pain, dizziness, noise and
light sensitivity, and difficulty thinking, expressing thoughts,
reading, writing, and making decisions as well as a feeling of
being overwhelmed by schoolwork plague a child with Lyme
disease. Pain and impaired cognitive function make it
difficult to sustain attention and to learn and
recall new material.
Although Lyme is usually transmitted by Ixodes scapularis
(deer) and Amblyomma americanum (lone star) ticks,
it can also be transmitted in utero and through breast milk.
These children, frequently floppy with poor muscle tone,
are irritable and ill early in their lives with frequent fevers,
increased incidence of ear and throat infections, pneumonia,
joint and body pain. They have gastroesophageal reflux,
small windpipes (tracheomalacia), cataracts and
other eye problems, developmental delay,
learning disabilities, and psychiatric problems.
All respond to months or years
of continuous antibiotic therapy.
When Lyme disease is a possible diagnosis,
the children should be evaluated by a Lyme knowledgeable physician
who will continue antibiotic therapy until all Lyme symptoms resolve.
In most circumstances, Ixodes scapularis tick attachment
should be treated with one month of antibiotic therapy.
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
Printer-friendly view of this topic