8-year-old boy suddenly develops tic?

[Jody]

Hi

 

My son is 8. He has hydrocephalus but has done VERY well since he got his shunt as a baby and has had no complications. All of a sudden this summer I started noticing when he'd be walking he'd kind of look like he hiccups and then follows that with kind of arching his back and sticking his stomach out. It makes his walking look kind of 'rubbery'. Then it progressed to him even when sitting doing this abdominal clenching thing sometimes so much that it's almost constant. I took him to his ped and he thinks it's a tic. I think if it was something like CP it would have been present from when his hydrocephalus was untreated, and it's not. Also, at first it seemed like he didn't do it as much when he was actively playing with another child but did it more when he was just kind of 'bored' playing or doing whatever. Now, though, it's getting so frequent that I'm having trouble even putting any kind of pattern with it. He even does it laying in bed before sleep but doesn't do it during sleep.

 

This is a short video of it: http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v79/wijo...t=Sept07042.flv

 

Just to clarify - he doesn't do stressful games and just likes to kind of 'putz' around in the game that we play together (Zelda - I do all the hard parts - he just likes to ride Epona, buy lamp oil, find rupees, etc. - lol) so he wasn't 'stressed out' in the video.

 

I also sent this to his ped and I just wonder if I should take him to a neurologist or if there is another doctor I should take him to?

 

Thanks for any input!

 

Jody

[Chemar]

welcome to Latitudes/ACN Jody

 

honestly, because of the added issues re the hydro, this really is something I would consult a developmental pediatrician on

 

If you need to chat with others re whether this could be related to the hydro, there is a forum for hydrocephalus at NeuroTalk

 

 

Cheri

[Jody]

welcome to Latitudes/ACN Jody

 

honestly, because of the added issues re the hydro, this really is something I would consult a developmental pediatrician on

 

If you need to chat with others re whether this could be related to the hydro, there is a forum for hydrocephalus at NeuroTalk

 

 

Cheri

 

He has had zero complications with the hydro and just saw his neurosurgeon a month ago, had a scan, and all is well there. So I don't think this is related - I just mentioned it for history, I guess. This 'tic' thing appeared out of nowhere in the last 2 months. Would a developmental ped be familiar with a tic? Or would a neurologist be better?

[Tattoomom]

I wish I had some advice but I don't. I watched the video and I do see how it could be categorized as a tic but I'm no doctor!

 

My son has tics that came out of nowhere last December. It's like he woke up with it. First it was throat clearing followed by eye blinking a few months later. The tics are still here but less severe since we've started working on his diet. *knock on wood*

 

If I were you, I'd call the Neuro (even though he just had an appt.) because this is something new and as far as our doctors go, they always want to be notified if a new symptom/problem arises.

 

Keep us updated!