NORD has created a short video to help parents, pediatricians and others recognize early signs of pediatric movement disorders and know what to do if they suspect a child may have one. The video features Mered Parnes, MD, Director of the Pediatric Movement Disorders Clinic at Texas Children’s Hospital in an interview he conducted recently with staff from NORD’s Educational Initiatives Department.
“If a parent is concerned that their child may have unusual movements or involuntary movements, I’d recommend that the thing to do is first reach out to the pediatrician because there are some very common movements that can look quite alarming,” Dr. Parnes says.
If pediatricians are concerned about particular involuntary movements they are seeing, especially if these are causing significant problems or seem very unusual, they should “have a low threshold” for referring the family to a neurologist or, if possible, a movement disorders specialist, he adds.
The video provides a brief overview of some of the more common types of movement disorders and how they are diagnosed and treated. It also shares information about resources such as NORD’s Rare Disease Database and Video Library, NORD Member Organizations that serve specific rare disease communities and NORD’s Organizational Database, where newly diagnosed patients and their families can find organizations specifically for them.
This is one of many educational resources available free to all on the NORD website. Other resources for patients, caregivers and professionals include webinars, expert-reviewed rare disease reports and CME resources. Learn more about NORD educational resources here.
This video was made possible by a donation from Takeda. Individuals, organizations and companies may support the NORD Rare Disease Video Library with donations. Content of the videos is developed solely by NORD, in collaboration with rare disease medical experts.
