BALTIMORE, September 16, 2024- A new study from Kennedy Krieger Institute shows that the majority of children diagnosed with long COVID are likely to experience orthostatic intolerance (OI), a condition that causes the body to struggle with regulating blood pressure and heart rate when standing up. As a result, children often feel dizzy, lightheaded, fatigued and may experience "brain fog" or cognitive difficulties.
Orthostatic intolerance includes disorders such as postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and orthostatic hypotension. Among the patients studied, dizziness (67%), fatigue (25%), and body pain (23%) are found to be common symptoms, which worsen when standing and improve when lying down. These symptoms can make it difficult to perform everyday activities like exercising, attending school, and socializing, severely impacting their quality of life.
This new research, conducted at Kennedy Krieger's Pediatric Post-COVID-19 Rehabilitation Clinic, reveals that OI is prevalent among children dealing with the long-term effects of the COVID-19 virus. Researchers found 71% of the patients studied at the Institute experienced at least one orthostatic condition.
Dr. Laura Malone, Director of the Pediatric Post-COVID-19 Rehabilitation Clinic at Kennedy Krieger, is the senior author of this study. She explains these findings show the importance of screening pediatric long COVID patients for OI, as many have symptoms that could be missed without proper testing.
"Research proves this condition is common. Sixty-five out of the 92 children we studied were battling side effects like dizziness and fatigue from OI" Dr. Malone said. "Early diagnosis and treatment will give them the chance to recover and return to their normal routines."
The study findings call for a multi-faceted approach to treatment. Research emphasizes the importance of increased salt and fluid intake, exercise training, and physical therapy. Medications to manage heart rate and blood pressure are also being explored. However, Dr. Malone says more research is needed to fully understand OI.
"Our goal is to provide more targeted and tailored treatments that will help these children," Dr. Malone said. "This study is just the beginning, and we hope it will spark further research to support for children with long COVID."
Click here to discover more about Kennedy Krieger's research on long COVID and its nationally recognized clinic in Baltimore.
About Kennedy Krieger Institute
Kennedy Krieger Institute, an internationally known, non-profit organization located in the greater Baltimore/Washington, D.C. region, transforms the lives of more than 27,000 individuals a year through inpatient and outpatient medical, behavioral health and wellness therapies, home and community services, school-based programs, training and education for professionals and advocacy. Kennedy Krieger provides a wide range of services for children, adolescents and adults with diseases, disorders or injuries that impact the nervous system, ranging from mild to severe. The Institute is home to a team of investigators who contribute to the understanding of how disorders develop, while at the same time pioneer new interventions and methods of early diagnosis, prevention and treatment. Visit www.kennedykrieger.org/
