Around 500 children and young people in the UK are diagnosed with a brain tumour each year.
Symptoms of brain tumours vary from child to child. Symptoms can also depend on exactly where in the brain the tumour is and can often mimic those of other, relatively minor childhood illnesses.
Common symptoms and signs of brain tumours in children include:
- Persistent vomiting/feelings of nausea
(over a two week period)
- Recurring headache
(over a four week period, particularly on waking)
- Abnormal eye movements
- Fits or seizures
- Behaviour change
- Abnormal balance/walking/co-ordination
- Blurred/double vision
- Abnormal head position (such as a head tilt)
- Delayed or arrested puberty
(puberty that doesn’t start or starts, but doesn’t progress as expected)
If your child has one or more of the above, you should take them to see a GP.
Please visit The Brain Tumour Charity website, for more information on the types of brain tumours most commonly found in children.