Sudden stutter...corona?

amother

Wed, Jan 19 2022, 8:30 am

My 3 year old has never had a stutter or speech impediment, although she was late to talking. But she's been fluent for around a year now.

Last week, her older sister had a headache, achy legs and stomach-ache and she tested positive for corona. A couple days later, my 3 year old complained of the same symptoms but she tested negative. After 3/4 days of symptoms she is now completely well, but has a stutter, which developed towards the end of her symptomatic days.
It is a very pronounced stutter and she has started covering her mouth and smiling in embarrassment when she talks. Sometimes after struggling to get a word out, she tells me "I can't talk!" and I've told her not to worry about it, it's just because she wasn't well and when she's better it will be OK.

But I can't help but be worried. It has gotten no better since she's been feeling totally well these past couple of days.

Any advice?

amother

Slateblue

Wed, Jan 19 2022, 8:33 am

It seems like Covid can affect the brain the same way strep does.

I would go to a pans/pandas aware pediatrician and ask for at least a month of antibiotics plus an antihistamine.
You can also make her gut a little stronger by feeding her lots of fiber rich food and some fermented foods. Give a probiotic as well.

amother

Periwinkle

Wed, Jan 19 2022, 8:44 am

"Normal" stuttering can also start suddenly, having nothing to do with illness. This happens all the time. Definitely take the child to the pediatrician, but there's absolutely no reason to assume that exposure to infection caused the stutter. And obviously, make an appointment with a speech therapist.

Eta, edited a typo

amother

Ballota

Wed, Jan 19 2022, 8:53 am

amother [ Slateblue ] wrote:

This but antibiotics only if you suspect strep. Seems like lots of people getting corona + strep so it’s possible your little one had strep. You can do an ibuprophen trial, give dye free motrin per weight every six hours and see if it improves. If it does, that’s a good indication inflammation is at play.

tweety1

Wed, Jan 19 2022, 9:00 am

amother [ Periwinkle ] wrote:

When my teenager was about 4 yrs old dc developed a pretty bad stutter from one minute to the next. I called one of these centers forgot which one. They told me it happens pretty often to children. They also told me it might be temporary and it might not. It should be gone by age 5. If it's not I should call back. It went away about 3 months later. The way it came that's the way it went. I have no idea what caused it.

amother

Sienna

Wed, Jan 19 2022, 11:15 am

Stuttering is neurological and happens often when antibodies from any infection cross the blood brain barrier and attack the brain. It's a misdirected immune response. If you're noticing any other behavioral changes, I would address it as quickly as possible, before more damage occurs. Refua shelaima!

amother

Milk

Wed, Jan 19 2022, 4:51 pm

Thanks all.
I’m in Israel and there’s no Pediatrician here who’s open to PANS etc.
I will call my doctor tomorrow and ask him about doing a strep test.
I can get her probiotics.
I am noticing that she also has a shorter fuse at the moment.

amother Ballota, If I do an ibuprofen trial and I see improvement, what can I do about the inflammation?

amother Sienna, how do you recommend I address the misdirected immune response?

Thank you!

amother

Cantaloupe

Wed, Jan 19 2022, 5:15 pm

Sounds like strep to me.
My kids have gotten behavioral symptoms only with no throat hurting.
Besides, headache and stomachache are signs of strep (as per my very seasoned pediatrician), and you mentioned that she had those symptoms.

amother

Ballota

Wed, Jan 19 2022, 6:02 pm

amother [ Milk ] wrote:

Once you know it’s inflammation you can work on finding out the source of the inflammation and then treating accordingly. Untreated or chronic strep is a common cause, but it can also be another infection, or a virus, or allergies. You can also directly address the inflammation with anti inflammatories.

Btw the inflammation I speak of and the misdirected immune response that amother sienna mentioned are the same thing. Inflammation is an immune response, and if it’s directed at the brain instead of at an infection it’s misdirected.

The short fuse is a clue, in my experience. Good for you for being attuned.

amother

DarkRed

Wed, Jan 19 2022, 6:13 pm

I could've written your post word for word. Same story with my 3yr old. Both times in the past 3 months he tested positive for strep. The 2nd time my doctor even gave him stronger antibiotics for double time. But now I realized he has regressed again. This time I'm trying to treat it naturally. Hope I'm doing the right thing

amother

Ruby

Wed, Jan 19 2022, 6:26 pm

I’m usually the first one to roll my eyes when posters immediately go to PANDAS but in this case she had symptoms of illness and tested negative for COVID but you didn’t mention having her tested for strep. It can’t hurt to get a strep test

amother

Bluebonnet

Wed, Jan 19 2022, 6:34 pm

amother [ DarkRed ] wrote:

How are you treating naturally?
I’m going through this with my 4 yo

FYI exposure to corona skyrockets my sons stutter, to the extent that it more tic than stutter

amother

Buttercup

Wed, Jan 19 2022, 7:02 pm

SLP here and I want to add that I think you’re handing it well. Your daughter shouldn’t feel that you are stressed out about this in any way. Hope she gets better soon!

amother

DarkRed

Wed, Jan 19 2022, 7:28 pm

amother [ Bluebonnet ] wrote:

How are you treating naturally?
I’m going through this with my 4 yo

FYI exposure to corona skyrockets my sons stutter, to the extent that it more tic than stutter

Called my local health food store, they told me first thing to give him something for constipation, as this is probably keeping the infection from leaving his body. Then they told me to give mrsa miracle with Para a both are supposed to cure the bacteria. Then as a precaution I'm giving him an immune booster

amother

Bluebonnet

Wed, Jan 19 2022, 8:10 pm

amother [ DarkRed ] wrote:

Did you do blood work?

amother

Ballota

Wed, Jan 19 2022, 8:12 pm

amother [ DarkRed ] wrote:

Mrsa miracle and para are grea for this type of thing. What’s in the immune booster? Sometimes they ramp up the immune system too much and make symptoms worse. Is your protocol working?

amother

DarkViolet

Wed, Jan 19 2022, 9:16 pm

Sometimes kids stutter randomly. 5 to 10% of children. And it's not necessary to do speech at this age but of course check with your doctor in a few weeks or months. Don't bother your child about it.

Most of the times it goes away before 5 and a very small percent stay with a stutter which there is speech therapy for that sometimes helps and sometimes does not but that's not relevant to this rhread.