{"id":4326,"date":"2020-10-11T13:58:26","date_gmt":"2020-10-11T20:58:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/healthykidshappykids.com\/?p=4326"},"modified":"2025-10-09T14:27:44","modified_gmt":"2025-10-09T21:27:44","slug":"does-your-child-have-pans-pandas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vps37072.inmotionhosting.com\/~healt472\/2020\/10\/11\/does-your-child-have-pans-pandas\/","title":{"rendered":"Does Your Child Have PANS\/PANDAS?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Could your child have PANS\/PANDAS?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Do you have a child who was totally \u201cnormal\u201d one day, and the next day suddenly has new anxieties, fears, tantrums or rages, OCD behaviors and maybe even tics? Does your toddler have out-of-control tantrums, and your friends and parents think you may have parenting issues? Or do you have a child who has always been more anxious, but now has gradually worsening separation anxiety and mood swings, who used to be a great student but is now barely holding on because she can\u2019t focus and has difficulty processing or remembering what she\u2019s learned just the day before?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you thinking, and hoping:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s just a phase \u2026<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It could be, but it could be something more \u2026 it could potentially be an autoimmune illness that is affecting your child\u2019s brain \u2013 something called Pediatric Acute Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS) or Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Disease (PANDAS).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, at least 1 in 200 US school children has PANS (1), and that number is climbing every day, but many are misdiagnosed, or just plain missed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Missed Diagnosis \u2013 Missed Opportunities<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

According to the PANDAS Parent Survey in April 2014 (2), it took over 3 years for 35% of children to be appropriately diagnosed with PANS\/PANDAS. Almost 90% saw 3 or MORE doctors before being properly diagnosed. Over half of all children with PANS were misdiagnosed and mistreated for over 1 year. Most children are misdiagnosed as having psychiatric illness, behavioral problems, or parenting concerns. Many go through trials of multiple psychiatric medications and therapies with minimal to no benefit – because they’re treating the WRONG thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PANS is so much more than a “mental health disorder.” PANS\/PANDAS is an immune-modulated, neuro-inflammatory encephalitis. What on earth does that mean?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our kids\u2019 brains are on fire!<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Without appropriate antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and immune-modulatory treatments, our children with PANS\/PANDAS will be facing an uphill battle in their fight to get well and heal their brains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, by the time many children get the treatment they so desperately need, they’ve likely already been misdiagnosed and mismanaged. It is imperative that pediatricians, family practice doctors, pediatric occupational\/physical\/speech therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists and educators understand what PANS\/PANDAS is. Providers who care for children play a vital role in recognizing how children may present with PANS\/PANDAS so that they can be appropriately referred, diagnosed, and treated as soon as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only then is recovery possible.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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What is PANS\/PANDAS?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

PANS (Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome) is an autoimmune encephalitis that can have multiple triggers – infectious and non-infectious. Infectious triggers appear to be more common than non-infectious triggers. PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Disease) is a subset of infection-triggered PANS caused by streptococcal infection. However, many infections are now known to be possible triggers of PANS including Mycoplasma pneumonia, Influenza, Epstein Barr Virus, Lyme and other tickborne coinfections, HHV-6, HSV 1+2,  Parvovirus B19, Coxsackievirus, Cytomegalovirus, and Candida. Non-infectious triggers include environmental toxins such as mold, heavy metals, and other toxic exposures, as well as metabolic disorders such as diabetes and lupus cerebritis. This diagram gives a better picture of how to think about PANS and all of its potential triggers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How is PANS diagnosed?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The following are the current diagnostic criteria for PANS\/PANDAS:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Symptoms of PANS\/PANDAS can vary quite a bit, and the most common symptoms that I typically see in my patients include the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n