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Pediatric Stroke Program

What is Pediatric Stroke?

If you think your child may be having a stroke, do not wait to seek medical attention! Call 9-1-1 or go to the nearest children's hospital emergency room as quickly as possible!

STROKE CAN HAPPEN AT ANY AGE- infants, children and even before birth. 

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What Causes Pediatric Stroke?

Stroke in children can be from a broad range of causes. Certain conditions and diseases can bring on strokes including:

  • Congenital heart disease
  • Placenta disorders
  • Blood Clotting disorders
  • Infections like meningitis
  • Diseases affecting arteries in the brain
  • Infections affecting the brain and other organs
  • Head trauma
  • Sickle Cell Disease and other genetic/inherited conditions
  • Autoimmune Diseases

Here is a link to the most current FACT SHEETS page from the International Alliance for Pediatric Stroke to learn more about Pediatric Stroke

Family Tool Kit

The International Alliance for Pediatric Stroke has resources for families (in English and Spanish) if you:

  • have a newly diagnosed child
  • are a hospital who'd like to support your pediatric stroke families
  • clinic, doctor, therapist who have pediatric stroke patients

View, download or request a hard copy of their FAMILY TOOL KIT today to start your journey

Meet Our Pediatric Stroke Team

Melika AbrahamsMelika Abrahams, RN, BSN, CPN
Cerebrovascular Nurse, UTHealth Pediatric Stroke Program
Department of Pediatrics | Division of Child & Adolescent Neurology

Stuart FraserStuart Fraser, MD
Assistant Professor, Pediatric Neurology
Director, Program for Pediatric Stroke and Cerebrovascular Disease at the Institute for Stroke and Cerebrovascular Disease at UTHealth Houston

David SandbergDavid Sandberg, MD, FACS, FAAP
Neurological Surgery and Pediatric Surgery

Ian ButlerIan Butler, MD
Professor
Distinguished Chair In West Syndrome Research

Stephen FletcherStephen Fletcher, DO
Associate Professor, Division Of Pediatric Neurosurgery

Brandon MillerBrandon Miller, MD, PhD, FAANS
Assistant Professor, Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery
Department of Pediatric Surgery and Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery McGovern Medical School at UTHealth

Keely SmithKeely Smith, MD, FAAP
Division Chief, Pediatric Hospital Medicine
Associate Professor, Pediatrics

Manish ShahManish Shah, MD
Associate Professor, Division Of Pediatric Neurosurgery

Thao NguyenThao Nguyen, DO, FAAP
Assistant Professor, Pediatric Critical Care Medicine

Lakshmi SrivathsLakshmi Srivaths, MD
Pediatric Hematologist-Oncologist

Pediatric Research

  • Describe

    Describe - Coming Soon

  • I-ACQUIRE

    Perinatal Arterial Stroke: A Multi-site RCT of Intensive Infant Rehabilitation (I-AQUIRE)

    This is a Phase III clinical trial to compare the efficacy of two dosages of a new infant rehabilitation protocol - I-ACQUIRE - to usual and customary forms of infant rehabilitation in infants who experienced Perinatal Arterial Stroke (PAS).

    The proposed study is a Phase III trial powered to determine efficacy of two different doses of I-ACQUIRE for children 8 to 36 months old with PAS and hemiparesis. The design is a prospective Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) in which 240 children will be randomly assigned to one of 3 treatment groups (N=80 per group): 1) Moderate Dose I-ACQUIRE (3 hours/day, 5 day/week X 4 weeks), 2) High Dose I-ACQUIRE (6hrs/day, 5 days/week X 4 weeks), or 3) Usual and Customary Treatment (U&CT). I-ACQUIRE will be delivered by protocol-trained therapists and monitored weekly for dosage and treatment fidelity; U&CT will be provided by community therapists with dosage and approaches documented weekly. All primary and secondary efficacy outcomes rely on blinded assessments at baseline, end of treatment, and 6 months post-treatment. Exploratory outcomes and supplemental clinical measures may provide valuable additional data about development and health in this sample of children with PAS.

    PI: Stuart Fraser, MD

    Coordinator: Samantha Acosta, MA

    Contact: Samantha.D.Acosta@uth.tmc.edu

  • FOCAS

    FOCAS- Coming Soon

  • TOPSS

    TOPSS Study - TOlerability of transcranial direct current stimulation in Pediatric Stroke Survivors, won the SVIN Pilot Grant at the 2022 SVIN Annual Meeting in Los Angeles. Accepting the award was Stuart Fraser, MD Director, Program for Pediatric Stroke and Cerebrovascular Disease at the Institute for Stroke and Cerebrovascular Disease at UTHealth Houston. The grant will provide up to $10,000 of funding over the course of one year.

    Transcranial direct current stimulation is a heavily studied technology that is known to enhance motor learning and neuroplasticity. It has yet to be used in childhood-onset stroke survivors. Using this pilot grant from SVIN as a jump off point, Dr. Fraser's team intends to pilot the early use of transcranial direct current stimulation to help young stroke patients recover from their stroke.

    The goal of the SVIN Pilot Research Grant is to help initiate pilot research projects that will further the field or understanding of Vascular and Interventional Neurology. 

  • IPSS

    IPSS- Coming Soon

Who Are We?

We provide clinical care and research related to pediatric stroke and cerebrovascular diseases. Pediatric stroke is an under recognized medical emergency that is among the top 10 causes of morbidity and mortality in the pediatric population. Currently, there is a shortage of pediatric neurologists specifically trained in diagnosis, acute management, and long-term care of pediatric patients with cerebrovascular diseases. We work closely with Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital to diagnosis, treat and support children and families affected by pediatric stroke.

Pediatric Stroke Clinic

Though more common in adults, stroke is among the top 10 causes of death in pediatric patients and there are few centers with specific expertise in treating pediatric stroke. Pediatric patients with stroke have specific and unique biologic and developmental needs, and our team of pediatric neurologists, vascular neurologists, pediatric neurosurgeons, nurses, and MAs is built with those needs in mind. For more information, visit the Children's Neurology and Neurosurgery page here. or the Memorial Hermann Vascular Anomalies Clinic page here.

The Pediatric Stroke Clinic with UT Physicians provides comprehensive stroke care for neonates, infants, children, and adolescents who suffer from stroke or other cerebrovascular disorders, including moyamoya disease, intracerebral hemorrhage, neonatal stroke, and childhood stroke.

Though more common in adults, stroke is among the top 10 causes of death in pediatric patients and there are few centers with specific expertise in treating pediatric stroke. Our missing is to provide comprehensive and cutting edge medical care to children affected by cerebrovascular disease.  In coordination with our colleagues in neurosurgery, hematology, oncology, pediatrics, and PM&R, we offer full-service coordinated care for any child who has suffered from cerebrovascular disease.

Pediatric Stroke Clinic is held weekly.

Clinic information:
Pediatric Stroke Clinic
6410 Fannin, 5th floor
Houston, TX 77030
Wednesday afternoons, 1pm-5pm

Appointments/Referrals:
Office Number: 713-500-7164
Email: pedistroke@uth.tmc.edu

Our Team:
Stuart M. Fraser, MD, Director
Melika Abrahams, RN, BSN

UTHealth Pediatrics

The mission of the Department of Pediatrics is three-fold:

  • to provide the highest quality and cost-efficient medical care to infants, children, and adolescents entrusted to us
  • to advance the knowledge in biomedical, clinical, and behavioral science through our research programs
  • and to provide excellence and innovation in the training of the next generation of pediatricians and sub-specialists through our medical student, residency and fellowship programs.

To learn more, visit: https://med.uth.edu/pediatrics