How dangerous is myasthenia gravis for children?

This is an automatically translated article.

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Truong Thanh Tam - Pediatrician - Pediatrics - Neonatology Department, Vinmec Danang International General Hospital
Myasthenia gravis in children is caused by disturbances in neuromuscular synaptic conduction with clinical manifestations of skeletal muscle weakness and fatigue. When infected with this disease, the pediatric patient can be completely damaged with symptoms of myasthenia gravis, weak muscles that cannot breathe with force, so they are prone to respiratory failure and death.

1. Learn about myasthenia gravis

Myasthenia gravis is one of the autoimmune diseases capable of disrupting conduction at neuromuscular junctions and thereby reducing the function of the muscle system.
In the normal human body, impulses from the nervous system to the muscles ensure that the muscles work thanks to a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine (Ach). When suffering from myasthenia gravis, the child will have the phenomenon of producing an anti-Ach autoantibody to reduce the amount of this substance and at the same time reduce the response of Ach receptors at the postsynaptic membrane. The transmission of nerve impulses from nerve endings to the neuromuscular postsynaptic membrane is reduced and leads to muscle weakness and paralysis.
According to experts, myasthenia gravis in children will have a fairly good prognosis, about 30% of children without thymectomy and 40% of children with thymectomy will recover completely. However, if the child has this disease, if not treated in time, the right method will be very dangerous.

2. What causes myasthenia gravis in children?

Myasthenia gravis can result from a defect in neuromuscular vascular bundle conduction, which manifests as an interruption in normal nerve-muscle transmission at the neuromuscular junction, where which nerve cells connect to muscles to control.
Normally, when muscle pushes against a nerve, the nerve endings release a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine. Acetylcholine travels to the neuromuscular junction and binds to the acetylcholine receptor, which activates and induces muscle contraction. In myasthenia gravis in children and adults, antibodies block, alter, or destroy receptors for acetylcholine at the neuromuscular junction and prevent muscle contractions from occurring. These antibodies are produced by the body's immune system.
In addition, myasthenia gravis in children can be acquired due to factors such as:
Genetic factors; Have a thymus tumor; Children suffering from infectious diseases; The child is being treated for cardiovascular disease.

3. Is myasthenia gravis dangerous?

Most parents are very worried about whether their children have myasthenia gravis or not. However, depending on the condition of the disease, the child will have different levels of danger.
In fact, myasthenia gravis in children can be treated without endangering the child's life, but if not detected and promptly intervened, it will easily cause extremely dangerous complications.
Initially, when suffering from myasthenia gravis, children will gradually droop the eyelids and paralysis of the eye motor muscles, causing symptoms of double vision, strabismus; Later, the severity of the disease becomes more severe when the child has paralysis of the chewing muscles, pharyngeal muscles and hand motor muscles... Therefore, the child will easily choke, have difficulty speaking, and walk poorly. The greatest danger of myasthenia gravis in children is respiratory failure leading to death due to weakness or paralysis of the respiratory muscles.
In addition, children who are swallowed and coughed for a long time will also be susceptible to aspiration and pneumonia. Myasthenia gravis in children will also cause fatigue, poor eating and reduced absorption in children, this long-term condition will be extremely dangerous.

4. What to do when the child has myasthenia gravis?

Myasthenia gravis in children can cause many dangerous complications, so parents need to pay close attention to factors that can make the disease worse and help children avoid it.
In addition, it is necessary to ensure that the diet is full of nutrients and to prevent infectious diseases for children while using immunosuppressive drugs.
Absolutely do not arbitrarily give drugs to children because it can make the condition of myasthenia gravis in children worse. Do not quit while on treatment, do not arbitrarily combine treatment with Western medicine and Eastern medicine without the consent of the doctor.
When myasthenia gravis in children has severe symptoms, it is necessary to take the child to a medical facility for monitoring and counseling. To protect their children, parents should actively learn knowledge about this disease to take effective preventive measures and screen for safe diseases.

Please dial HOTLINE for more information or register for an appointment HERE. Download MyVinmec app to make appointments faster and to manage your bookings easily.