There are some early indications of a higher mortality rate due to H1N1 influenza among children with cerebral palsy and other neurodevelopmental disorders. The vulnerability of this group of children to complications from flu has been known for some time. The current situation in the USA, according to the report referred to above, is:
"Almost two-thirds of the children who died with swine flu had epilepsy, cerebral palsy or other neurodevelopmental conditions. In a previous flu season, only a third of the children who died had those conditions."
"Two-thirds of the children who died had high-risk medical conditions. Nearly all of them had an illness related to the nervous system, including mental retardation, cerebral palsy, epilepsy and other seizure disorders."
"Years ago experts recognized that children with neurodevelopmental conditions run a higher risk of serious complications from the flu. But the proportion of swine flu victims with that kind of underlying condition is high compared to a previous flu season."
"It's not clear how significant that finding is, because many of the children had other medical problems besides the neurological conditions that had weakened their bodies."Keep in mind that this report is based on limited numbers of children and that it is too early to draw definitive conclusions from it.
Read the full report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
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