Pediatric Neurology

Pediatric neurology involves evaluation and treatment of disorders of the central and peripheral nervous systems in infants, children, and adolescents. There are health disparities in many neurologic disorders of childhood (including both common and rare disorders), leading to inequities in access to care, diagnosis, therapies, and health outcomes for children across multiple sociodemographic factors. Such disparities have been identified for children in terms of race, ethnicity, insurance type, gender, primary language, and socioeconomic status. In this chapter, we describe the evidence for the existence of health disparities in several neurologic diseases that can occur in childhood, including epilepsy, migraine, tic disorders, stroke, leukodystrophies, cerebral palsy, developmental delay, and autism spectrum disorder. We conclude by discussing the largely understudied area of interventions in pediatric neurology that are intended to address these disparities in care and what investigators planning interventions in pediatric neurology may be able to learn from prior efforts in adult neurology and implementation science.