This post was updated on July 17, 2022
Lyme disease is highly controversial and difficult to detect. It is even more difficult to diagnose in children without the tell-tale signs of a classic bulls-eye rash. Children have a much more difficult time explaining their symptoms. Parents may recognize that their child may be more tired than usual but probably wouldn’t think about Lyme disease unless they know what to look for.
It’s estimated that around 25% of Lyme disease cases each year are among children. Children ages 5-15 seem to be most at risk.
Many times, children will have very mild symptoms, to begin with. They may not want to go out to play or be with their friends. Many children will begin to have difficulty with school and complain of stomachaches, headaches, and car sickness.
If the child also contracted one or more of the many coinfections such as Babesia, Bartonella, Mycoplasma, or Ehrlichia they will exhibit many additional symptoms such as foot pain, muscle spasms, migraines, urinary incontinence, and more severe psychological symptoms.
All four of my children have had chronic Lyme disease. I struggled for several years to get an accurate diagnosis for them. Two of my children had known deer tick bites but no other initial symptoms. One daughter never had a tick bite that we knew of, only a spider bite. My son developed mild symptoms shortly after birth.
I took two of my daughters to the pediatrician each time they were bitten by a deer tick and each time I was given false information which I believe led to them becoming chronically ill. The first time I was told that my daughter could not get Lyme disease because the tick was not attached for more than 24 hours. Now I know that it does not take 24 hours for a tick to transmit a Lyme infection.
[bctt tweet=”Only 50% of Lyme infections produce a rash and 50% of those rashes are bulls-eye.” username=”aboundinginhope”]
Do Not Take This for Lyme Disease
The pediatrician wrote a prescription for her to have exactly two Doxycycline pills as a precaution. This does nothing to prevent infection and can alter a Lyme disease blood test but I did not know that at the time. I took my other daughter to the pediatrician because she had an odd rash which appeared about a week after I removed a tick. Our pediatrician told us that she did not have a bulls-eye rash and therefore could not have Lyme disease.
Only 50% of infections produce a rash and 50% of those rashes are bulls-eye.
As a Mom, I want to know why our pediatricians are not being taught the correct information about tick-borne diseases. Why are they not taught to recognize an early Lyme infection so that our children don’t become chronically ill? Why don’t they know the proper treatment protocols? And why are they not taught to trust a mother’s intuition?
The Impossible Request for Lyme Treatment
Instead, I was thrown the CDC “Bible” stating that there’s no such thing as chronic Lyme disease and that a Lyme infection must have a bulls-eye present.
When I learned that I had chronic Lyme, I began to recognize similar symptoms in my children. I was heartbroken and angry because I knew it could have been prevented.
When my youngest daughter later began having psychiatric symptoms, OCD, anxiety, learning difficulties, and behavioral problems I pursued Lyme testing again because I had read literature regarding Lyme presentations in children, and the symptoms matched. My pediatrician once again assured me it couldn’t be Lyme and handed me a list of parenting books to read. I knew in my heart that my child was suffering from chronic Lyme and so I pursued testing for her with a specialty lab only to find out that she indeed had Lyme disease as well as Bartonella and Babesia. I had to take my daughter to a doctor who was trained by ILADS and understood the complexities of tick-borne diseases.
Our doctors do not know everything and they are not being trained to understand or even acknowledge that Lyme disease is a problem across the country. Lyme spirochetes and co-infections are found in every single state in the United States and in many countries around the world.
If you, the parent, are not educating yourself you could very well miss the opportunity to prevent a chronic Lyme infection in your precious children.
Here are key symptoms to help you identify a Lyme infection in your child.
Pregnancy and Breast Milk
It is controversial as to whether or not a mother can pass Lyme disease to their unborn child or through breastfeeding. Many Lyme literate physicians have found that Lyme indeed can be transmitted through pregnancy and breastfeeding. They have found that Lyme bacteria do cross the placenta during pregnancy and through breast milk.
[bctt tweet=”Many Lyme literate physicians have found that Lyme indeed can be transmitted through pregnancy and breastfeeding. ” username=”aboundinginhope”]
When I was pregnant with my son, I began having symptoms that I now know were from Lyme disease. Thankfully, we know that my son has had Lyme disease, and his symptoms are were mild but because we are were aware we are were able to have him treated appropriately. No parent wants to see their child suffer. My children have lost so much of their childhood and of their critical teen years by being sick with this painful and devastating disease.
Ask your pediatrician what their views are about Lyme disease. Some doctors are willing to give the appropriate dosage of medication when a tick has been found. You do not need to be at the mercy of your pediatrician. You can treat your child’s new tick bite with herbs or homeopathy.
ILADS recommends treating each and every tick bite with 21 days of Doxy and longer if there are any symptoms at all.
Some pediatricians will even offer to send the tick off for testing so that you can find out whether or not an infection is even possible. Testing ticks was once thought to be more accurate than human testing. If you choose to test your tick choose a lab that is close to your home and be sure they are not backlogged. If your tick is engorged and waits for too long it can disintegrate before it’s able to be tested.
If there’s one thing I’d like to leave with you, it’s that you would dedicate a little of your time to understanding what Lyme disease is and how to recognize an early infection or a chronic infection in order to get the proper diagnosis and treatment.
For further reading and research
Lyme Disease.org Pediatric Tick-borne Disease Specialists
LymeNet Neurological Neurological Manifestations of Lyme Disease in Children
Lyme Disease Association Tick-Borne Disease in Children and Adolescents
Gordon Medical Associates Children At Risk for Lyme Disease
IGENIX.com The Psychological Effects of Lyme Disease
Psychology Today Lyme Disease: The Great Imitator, Pamela Weintraub
Hi, do you know of any financial assistance for Lyme patients? I’ve had Lyme for 17 years with only a few flares, but this most recent one has been over two years long! I have a naturopath and LLMD, but I can’t see them as often as I should, because we are only on my husband’s income with me being sick. Even if I could make the appts, we can’t afford the necessary supplements. (Was on Cowsen protocol that seemed to work, but I couldnt afford more than two months of the tinctures). Also, my 14 yr old has symptoms, so I have given up persuing my healing so that she can be tested and taken care of. We had to use our credit card for some of my treatments the past two years, so we are left with some debt and me still sick. Anyway, glad your children are doing well. Thanks for sharing your experience and offering advice.
Teri from CT
Hi! Hugely helpful article! I know at least one of my kids is symptomatic. Can I ask how your kids are doing now after treatment?
Hi Theresa, once we found our alternative doctor they began improving. They are all doing very well! My oldest girls have graduated, one went to college and all 3 are working. My youngest is pretty much amazing compared to where she was. It truly is remarkable. She was able to work as a Nanny, now she is taking dual credit for her senior year of high school and she’s working and plans to travel and attend college after high school. I’m not sure it’s ever possible to get to a 100% but they sure are functioning as though they are. We all have to stay on top of our health which is great for a long, healthy life anyways! ?
Thank you so much for your reassuring reply and for helping to de-mystify this frustrating and debilitating puzzle. God bless
What specific blood tests did you request to identify lyme positive? Our 5.5 year old presented with the bullseye rash this summer and was treated with 21 days amoxicillin, but we’d like to test her to find out if it was effective. Thanks so much!
Hi Lauren, one daughter tested posited through Labcorb with the Western Blot. My son and 3rd daughter tested through a lab called MDL using a Western Blot and my oldest daughter was tested through auricular energy testing. The 3 that did labs were not CDC positive but our doctor was an LLMD so she knew that you only need 1 band along with symptoms to be positive. Lyme and co-infections should always be a clinical diagnosis per the CDC. From my research, a bulls-eye means Lyme only 25% of Lyme infections produce a bulls-eye) and the only way you truly know if it was effective is if she no longer has symptoms. Blood tests are grossly unreliable. If any symptoms recur or new symptoms show, think Lyme or coinfections. I hope that helps.
Would you treat a child if positive for Lyme but no symptoms?
Hi, Jada, it’s very important to discuss this with a practitioner who is knowledgeable about Lyme and coinfections. There are many symptoms that may not be attributed to the infections but are a result of them. It also really depends on what type of treatment you are pursuing. Personally, with homeopathy, we address things that are currently active as well as things we want to protect against. I’m not a doctor but personally, I would never treat with antibiotics if there aren’t symptoms. I hope that helps.