Thousands of children are misdiagnosed with autism and mental health problems, a charity claims.
Charity PANS PANDAS UK says the wrong diagnosis affects children with neuropsychiatric disorders triggered by infections including strep throat.
William Hewlett, whose family struggled to get a PANS diagnosis after he fell ill
The charity raises awareness of PANS and PANDAS. These are a set of conditions that result in inflammation of the brain.
Variety of conditions
It says the brain inflammation can, in turn, cause a variety of neuropsychiatric conditions. These include OCD, tics, eating disorders, anxiety, depression and behavioural regression.
It believes a misdirected immune system could be behind the onset of PANS and PANDAS. However, doctors can treat the conditions with antibiotics.
PANS PANDAS UK says ignorance among GPs and NHS England’s failure to understand the conditions means children are wrongly referred to mental health services.
The charity says the result is that professionals often misdiagnose children with autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and mental health problems.
‘Imperative that NHS England support families’
Georgia Tuckey chairs PANS PANDAS UK. She said it is now “imperative that NHS England support families” through raising awareness of the conditions, which may affect one in 100 children.
Johanne Hewlett, 43, from Romsey in Hampshire, says professionals insisted her eight-year-old son William was autistic. However, doctors eventually diagnosed him with PANS in November 2017.
Hewlett said the trigger for William’s PANS was mould in a damp property that her family has since left.
She said her son saw rapid improvements after taking antibiotics.
But the improvements levelled off. Hewlett still has concerns that William’s immune system may attack his brain after future illnesses.
‘Thousands of children misdiagnosed’
Vicky Burford is a trustee of PANS PANDAS UK. She said the charity believes thousands of children with the conditions are misdiagnosed.
An NHS England spokesperson insisted it is “already common practice to treat any infection where there is evidence that it is present with the appropriate antibiotics”.
Acronyms
PANS stands for Paediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome.
PANDAS, meanwhile, stands for Paediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections. It is a subset of PANS, in which a streptococcal infection triggers the misdirected immune response.
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Published: 10 October 2018
