Patient education: Acute cerebellar ataxia in children (The Basics)

What is acute cerebellar ataxia? — Acute cerebellar ataxia is a condition that causes people to suddenly become unable to coordinate their movements. It most often affects children between the ages of 2 and 5 years old, but it can affect older children, too.

Acute cerebellar ataxia usually happens in response to an infection that causes fever. The symptoms of acute cerebellar ataxia usually go away on their own within 2 to 3 weeks.

What are the symptoms of acute cerebellar ataxia? — The main symptom is usually trouble walking, but other movement problems can also occur. Some children also develop:

●Jumpy or flicking eyeball movements

●Trouble speaking clearly

●Vomiting

●Headache

Will my child need tests? — Probably. If your child has symptoms of acute cerebellar ataxia, the doctor or nurse will want to make sure those symptoms are not caused by a more serious problem, such as brain damage. They will ask a lot of questions about your child's symptoms and medical history. As part of the exam, the doctor or nurse will also need to watch how your child responds to different things and how they move.

The doctor or nurse might also order:

●Blood tests to check for poisons or drugs (for example, if there is a chance the child accidentally swallowed something)

●Blood tests to check for low blood sugar, or other problems

●Imaging tests to check for problems in the brain

How is acute cerebellar ataxia treated? — Acute cerebellar ataxia usually gets better on its own without treatment.

Is there anything I can do to help my child? — Give your child a lot of support. Let them know that things will get better. Also, keep a close watch on your child's symptoms and let the doctor know if they get worse.

Can acute cerebellar ataxia be prevented? — You can lower the chances that your child will get acute cerebellar ataxia by making sure they have all the right vaccines. Some of the infections that lead to acute cerebellar ataxia (such as chickenpox, measles, and mumps) can be prevented with vaccines.

More on this topic

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Patient education: Chickenpox (The Basics)
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Patient education: Chickenpox prevention and treatment (Beyond the Basics)