Worried about your child's brain or nerves? Dr. Sedgh explains it in plain words.

What you're seeing, a staring spell, a new tic, headaches that keep coming back, can feel frightening, and the same sign means different things at different ages: a staring episode at age 2 points somewhere very different than it does at age 12. SimplyPedsNeuro explains each sign in plain language with the age band stated, so you understand what may be happening in your child's brain and nervous system before you ever step into an office. When you're ready for answers in person, a visit request goes directly to Dr. Shawn Sedgh, MD, whose dual residency training in pediatrics and neurology covers children from birth through age 18.

Most of the signs that bring parents here, a staring spell, a new tic, headaches that keep coming back, turn out to be common and manageable, especially when we look at them through your child's specific age, since the same sign at age 2 means something different at age 12. That said, honest answers sometimes include uncertainty, and the right move isn't to guess from search results that swing between "totally normal" and "rare and serious", it's to get a clear explanation and, when warranted, an in-person evaluation. If you're unsure, that's exactly what Dr. Shawn Sedgh, MD is here for: his dual residency training in pediatrics and neurology covers birth through age 18, and you can request a visit to find out where your child's sign actually falls on that spectrum.

Start by writing down what you saw, what the sign looked like, when it happened, and your child's age, then call your pediatrician to share those details. If the sign keeps happening, is new and unexplained, or your gut says something isn't right, that's a reasonable time to see a neurologist, and you can request an in-person evaluation with Dr. Shawn Sedgh, MD, whose training covers children from birth through age 18. If your child has a seizure lasting more than five minutes, trouble breathing, or doesn't wake up normally, skip the waiting and call 911.

A neurologist is worth seeing when a sign is new, repeating, or changing, a staring spell that keeps happening, a tic that started suddenly, headaches that wake your child at night, or anything that looks different from how your child usually acts at their age (what's expected at age 3 can be a real concern at age 12). If you're unsure, your pediatrician is always a reasonable first stop, and it's never wrong to ask for a specialist's eyes on something that worries you. When you're ready, you can request an in-person evaluation with Dr. Shawn Sedgh, MD, whose dual residency training in pediatrics and neurology covers children from birth through age 18.