Parents with children at-risk for Huntington's Disease are, naturally,
concerned their child has a 50% chance of inheriting the disease.
Your child may be having difficulties in behavior at home or at school
that concerns you.
It is helpful to not only know the symptoms of juvenile HD but to also
recognize that the stress of living in a family with HD can also cause
behavior problems in a child (along with peer pressures at school etc.)
If the changes in your child are serious and impacting their ability to
function in school or at home, or are causing them harm in any way,
please discuss them with their primary care phsyician as soon as possible.
Be honest with the physician about your child's at-risk status, but make sure all other testing rules out any other causes such as depression, ADD, AD/HD etc.
The information in this section is for your informtion only. Please consult with your child's primary care physician if you feel your child needs help with something you've read on these pages.
Please, do NOT start your child on any medication(s) without discussing it with their primary care physician. And...remember, you're child also has a 50% chance of NOT getting Huntington's Disease!!
The loss of the idealized perfect child can impart a depth of feelings upon families that is often unknown to others. Read this article written by a social worker on the feelings parent experience.
