How Common is Restless Legs Syndrome in Children?

Discussion Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is also known as Willis-Ekbom disease. RLS is a clinical diagnosis with criteria being: 1. An urge to move the legs usually accompanied by uncomfortable and unpleasant sensations in the lower extremities (Note: sometimes other body parts can be affected) 2. The urge to move begins or worsens when sitting or lying down 3. The urge to move is partially or totally relieved by movement (Note: relief by activity may not be noticable if severely affected but must have been previously present) 4. The urge to move the legs and any accompanying unpleasant sensations during rest or in activity only occur or are worse in the evening or night then during the day. (Note: worsening may not be noticable at night if severely affected but must have been previously present) 5. The symptoms are not accounted for by another primary medical or behavioral condition. There must be a significant impact on sleep, cognition, mood, and/or behavior (especially in school or homelife) to make the diagnosis. For adults, all 5 criteria must be met. For children, all must be met but there are caveats depending on timing, severity and the child’s own cognition and language development. The descriptive words must be from the child themself and not the parent. Words children and adolescents use to describe their symptoms include: “boo-boos,” “oowies,” “creepy,” “crawly,” “tingling,” “tickle,”...
Source: PediatricEducation.org - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: news