PANS and PANDAS in Young Children

OCD is a disorder that usually develops gradually. But sometimes OCD symptoms come on suddenly after a child has had an infection. This happens when the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks healthy brain cells. It’s called PANDAS or PANS, depending on whether the triggering infection was strep (usually) or something else, like Lyme disease or the flu.

This week we explore the symptoms of PANS and PANDAS, which include not only severe OCD but eating restriction, tics, rage, and depression — in children as young as three or four— and how it’s treated. We also look at when OCD is easy to miss because it’s not visible, kids who are plagued by “bad thoughts,” and how to recognize OCD in the classroom.