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Pediatric MS is multiple sclerosis that begins in children or teens. About 98% have relapsing-remitting MS, versus 84% of adults with MS. This autoimmune condition disrupts communication between your child’s brain and body. Symptoms include muscle weakness, cognitive difficulties and vision problems. Treatment may reduce symptom frequency.
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Multiple sclerosis (MS) in children, or pediatric MS, is an autoimmune condition that affects your child’s central nervous system before the age of 18. Your central nervous system is made up of your brain and spinal cord.
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Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy
If your child has MS, their immune system mistakenly attacks myelin cells. These are the protective covers that surround the brain and spinal cord nerves. Myelin sheath damage disrupts nerve signals from your child’s brain to the rest of their body.
The damage can lead to symptoms like muscle weakness, fatigue, memory problems, issues with balance and coordination, and vision changes.
There’s no cure for MS in children. Treatment is available to manage symptoms and decrease the risk of disability or long-term issues from MS.
The most common type among children is relapsing-remitting MS. Approximately 98% of children diagnosed have this type. MS symptoms flare up or come and go throughout your child’s life.
Primary progressive MS is less common. This means that your child’s symptoms may get worse over time.
Some early signs of MS in children include:
A healthcare provider will look for these early signs when diagnosing MS.
Common symptoms of MS in children include:
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The symptoms of MS vary from person to person and may even be different from one day to the next. Most children have only a few of these common symptoms, not all of them.
Demyelination causes MS in children. Let’s break down what this means.
Myelin is a protective cover (sheath) that surrounds nerve cells (neurons) in your child’s brain and spinal cord. Myelin helps messages move between your child’s brain and the rest of their body.
Your child’s immune system protects their body from things that can harm it, like a virus or bacteria. Sometimes, their immune system confuses healthy parts of their body for a threat. In this case, the immune system sees myelin as something harmful. Their immune system attacks and damages this protective cover on your child’s nerve cells.
Damage to myelin is demyelination. This damage can create scars that are visible on imaging tests. You might hear your child’s provider call these scars lesions or plaques. Demyelination affects how your child’s brain sends messages to all parts of their body, which causes symptoms.
Researchers aren’t sure why this happens.
You may be more at risk of having a child with MS if any of the following affect you during pregnancy:
A healthcare provider or pregnancy care provider can help you plan for and stay healthy during pregnancy.
MS in children can lead to complications like:
Many of these won’t affect your child right away or until they reach adulthood.
A healthcare provider will diagnose MS in your child after a physical exam, a neurological exam and testing. During the exams, your child’s provider will ask you questions about their medical history and symptoms.
Diagnostic testing helps their provider rule out conditions with similar symptoms. Tests could include:
Since MS symptoms are similar to many other conditions, it can take some time before you get an official diagnosis. This can be frustrating and may result in several trips to your child’s providers. But an official diagnosis helps your child’s care team better treat their symptoms so they can enjoy every part of their childhood with minimal interruptions.
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MS symptoms aren’t present at birth, so it’s unlikely that a child will receive a diagnosis as an infant. Symptoms become more apparent as your child grows and develops. It most commonly starts during puberty. Most diagnoses happen before age 16.
A common treatment for the relapsing-remitting form of MS in children is disease-modifying therapy (DMT). DMTs slow the condition’s progression and can reduce how many symptom flare-ups your child has. One FDA-approved medication is the oral form of fingolimod. It’s recommended for children age 10 or older. Researchers are currently studying other DMTs for pediatric use.
A healthcare provider will also treat symptoms of MS that affect your child. This could include:
Your child may need extra support in the classroom if symptoms affect their memory and thinking.
Clinical trials (studies that test the effectiveness of new treatments) may be available. A provider can give you more information if this is an option for your child.
If your child tells you about any symptoms they experience, like a tingling feeling in their arms and legs or vision changes, it’s very important to talk to your child’s providers. Finding MS early is key. Providers can evaluate your child or teen and determine the best path to a diagnosis.
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After a diagnosis, you and/or your child should contact their care team if any new symptoms come up or if flare-ups happen.
Children diagnosed with MS usually have a positive outlook. Treatment is available to help them reduce how often flare-ups happen and symptom severity. Managing the condition is lifelong to prevent long-term disability. You can expect that your child will need to meet regularly with their MS care team throughout their life.
Some children diagnosed with the relapsing-remitting form go on to develop secondary progressive MS as adults. Secondary progressive MS symptoms slowly get worse. Research shows that children diagnosed with MS see the disease progress more slowly than adults with the secondary progressive form.
Your child may feel challenged in school since MS may affect their memory and cognitive function (thinking and learning). It helps to have at least one formal cognitive test called a neuropsychological test. Then, meet with your child’s teachers regularly. Support is available to help them reach their academic goals at their own pace.
Most children with MS fit right in with their peers. They’re able to play and participate in the same activities as others.
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If you have any questions, your child’s provider can advise you on whether or not certain activities are safe for your child to participate in.
As a parent or caregiver, you may be worried to learn that your child has MS. Most cases that affect children are relapsing-remitting, where symptoms will come and go throughout your child’s life. A healthcare provider can create a treatment plan to reduce the frequency and severity. While MS is a lifelong condition with no cure, managing it well can help your child play and learn with fewer disruptions.
If your child has pediatric multiple sclerosis, you want expert treatment. At Cleveland Clinic Children’s, we can help slow the disease and improve quality of life.
Last reviewed on 03/27/2025.
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