Unmet Needs in the Evaluation, Treatment, and Recovery for 167 Children Affected by Acute Flaccid Myelitis Reported by Parents Through Social Media.

BACKGROUND

We aimed to characterize the outcomes of 167 children affected by acute flaccid myelitis by leveraging the power of social media.

METHODS

Members of a closed social media (Facebook) group were invited to participate in an anonymous online survey. Descriptive statistics were applied to quantitative responses, and free-text responses were grouped into themes using a grounded theory approach.

RESULTS

Caregivers provided information about 167 affected children; 77% were at least 6 months since onset. Clinical features matched those of larger published case series (e.g., walking impairment in 76.7%, intravenous immunoglobulin treatment in 80.8%; 28.2% tested positive for Enterovirus D68; 17% children had asthma before acute flaccid myelitis onset). Mean duration of initial hospitalization was 49.1 (S.D., 74.0) days, and of initial inpatient rehabilitation was 42.3 (S.D., 67.6) days. Among challenges, parents frequently reported delays in diagnosis, including lack of neurological examination at initial medical evaluation for weakness. Other challenges included familial and professional impact of protracted hospitalizations, uncertainty about cause or prognosis of acute flaccid myelitis, and the dynamic nature of care needs in growing children. The social media group played a critical role not only for social support but also for dissemination of rehabilitation approaches and of networks of expert clinicians.

CONCLUSIONS

Children with acute flaccid myelitis have persistent and dynamic deficits, but many continue to show ongoing functional improvements beyond the initial expected window of recovery. In an emerging disease paralyzing young children, social media can strengthen knowledge networks and focus on rehabilitation.